The Draught of Living Death
by Keira Aislin
Summary: Powdered root of asphodel and an infusion of wormwood spell trouble for Harry as he is presented with a danger he never knew existed. Chapter Eleven Finally Up! Arguments Galore!
1. Potions

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Harry Potter and the Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Brothers and J.K. Rowling, copyright 2000. Some portions of this Fan-fiction are directly taken from the novel.

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* [Pg. 137, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]

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Chapter One: Potions

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Begin quotation

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

'Powdered root of what to an infusion of what?' Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.

"I don't know sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi'?

Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For you information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death…."

****

End quotation

* ~ *

Harry snapped awake in his upstairs bedroom at the Dursleys' home.

He tried to retain some of the details of the dream that he had just had, but for some reason it felt more like he was trying to remember something. _Asphodel and wormwood…. _He was trying to remember why they seemed significant. Finally, as sleep started fading and he grew more awake, the significance of the two herbs came to him.

They made the Draught of Living Death; they had been the first things Professor Snape had asked him when he took his first class in potions. However, he couldn't think of why he was dreaming of that horrible day now. The memory had stayed with him every day, mostly because it had been so embarrassing. 

Harry fell back in bed, now unable to return to sleep. He kept racking his brain, trying to think of one good reason why he would be remembering that horrible day now.

In curiosity, Harry pulled out his first year potion book. He flipped through it, looking for the Draught of the Living Death. He didn't find it 'til near the end of the book. He smirked, leave it to Snape to quiz the poor first year Gryffindor on something they wouldn't learn until the end of the class.

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The Draught of Living Death

When powdered root of asphodel is added to an infusion of wormwood it creates a sleeping potion that is so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. Someone who is given this draught will fall into instant sleep, unable to awaken until the potion has run it's course. A word of caution: this potion is useful for helping someone to sleep when they are hurt or injured or suffering from severe insomnia, but if it is given in too large a dosage, the results can be eternal sleep or instant fatality. At this time, there is no known counter potion for the Draught of Living Death.

Harry frowned. The small paragraph didn't exactly give him any insight as to why he had been dreaming about it. He briefly considered that if might be a warning, but decided that it couldn't be, since his scar hadn't hurt. Finally, he passed it off as a simple dream of a bad memory. In fact, it had been a nice alternative to dreaming about the third task during the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Now having settled on a feasible reason for his dream, Harry climbed out of bed and began to pull out some of his homework for the upcoming year. Professor McGonagall had assigned a three-parchment roll essay on self-transfiguration. If Harry were lucky, he'd be able to find enough information to fill his rolls.

* ~ *

If it was at all possible, the Dursleys' had gotten worse.

Harry had been roused from his bed at four in the morning and told he'd better eat right then if he expected any food at all. Still exhausted from his dream filled night, Harry had rolled out of bed and was entering the kitchen just as Aunt Petunia was started to clear his place at the table. Harry hurried and sat down.

She huffed a little but left the food alone.

"You'll have to wash your own dishes now, you lazy boy."

Harry shrugged; it wasn't as if she would have washed his dishes for him in the first place.

Aunt Petunia turned pink with anger. "Just for you insolence, boy, you won't be getting those clothes I was going to give you. I'll take them to the good will instead."

Harry shrugged again. Dudley's clothes didn't fit him anyways, besides that, if he had things his way, he'd be going to buy his own clothes today.

Aunt Petunia, somehow realizing she wasn't going to make him angry huffed off to the stove to start making breakfast for the rest of the family.

Since Harry had arrived, Uncle Vernon had decided that it was better if Harry didn't eat with the rest of the family, since there always seemed to be trouble at the table. Harry didn't mind, it meant that he got a quiet meal. It was at that moment that Uncle Vernon came into the room, in an unusually good mood.

"All right, you listen here boy, this is going to be a big day, and you know what that means."

"It means I won't be here."

"Right you are, Harry. Old Ms. Figg has kindly volunteered to take you for the day. She said you'd have to help her go grocery shopping, so you'd better not cause any trouble for her, or we may not have anyone to watch you anymore."

Harry didn't respond, he knew he wasn't expected to. Instead, he scooped the rest of his breakfast down his throat and washed his dishes in record time. For the first time, he was anxious to get over to Ms. Figg's house. Earlier in the previous summer, Harry and Ms. Figg had finally come to an understanding that had a lot to do with the deduction Harry had made at the end of his fourth year.

Dumbledore had mentioned an Arabella Figg as part of the Order of Phoenix. It had taken Harry a couple of weeks, but he soon realized that Arabella was the same Ms. Figg that Harry had been staying with most of his life. When he confronted her, she had just smiled and held a silencing finger to her lips, as if saying she couldn't tell him anything about it. After that, his stays there had been much more pleasant. He chose not to mention this to his aunt or uncle, as they would have found a reason for him not to go over there anymore.

Harry rushed up to his room and grabbed the wallet of money he had been keeping since he had gone to Diagon Alley a year before. He had taken that time to exchange a bag of galleons for some money he could use in the muggle world, thinking that it might come in handy. Now he was glad for his forethought. Even though he knew Arabella was a witch, he hardly thought she would take him to Diagon Alley to exchange his money, so he was glad that he already had some.

A week before, he had called her and asked her if she would take him shopping while he was over there. Today was Dudley's birthday, which meant that Harry wasn't allowed to be home. After the incident the year he turned eleven, his aunt and uncle no longer trusted him to go on special trips with them. Again, Harry was grateful.

At a quarter to seven, Harry informed his uncle that he was ready to go, and was told to hurry up and get himself out of the house before Dudley woke up. Apparently his uncle didn't want Dudley to even realize Harry was alive on his special day.

Harry raced over to Ms. Figg's house and let himself in. The old lady came out of the kitchen when she heard the door and gestured for him to come into the room. Harry did so, and sat himself at the table, gladly accepting the plate of cookie's she offered. He listened to her prattle off in the way she always did, but with a little more respect since he realize whom she was now. She must have been an awful powerful witch for Dumbledore to trust her with his safety. After making sure he had a hot cup of tea and enough cookies to keep him happy for a while she wandered off to her bedroom to change for their shopping trip.

Once Harry had eaten one too many cookies and finished his tea he asked Ms. Figg if she wanted him to call a car to take them to the shopping center. She nodded appreciatively.

"I'm sorry," she said in a cracked and slow voice. "I always seem to forget things like that."

Harry nodded, he was sure it was because she was used to being able to apparate everywhere she went to. He just wished he could get her to admit who she really was.

Ms. Figg and Harry climbed into the cab together about fifteen minutes later and spent a very amiable ride together to the shopping mall that Harry had never seen before.

Also, for the first time, Harry wondered why he had never liked spending time with Ms. Figg. All of the pictures of her cats weren't so bad, and he was beginning to enjoy her distinctive smell of boiled cabbage.

* ~ *

Harry had never seen anything so grand in his life, except for maybe Hogwarts. The shopping center was huge, with stores varying from clothes to knick-knacks to grocery plazas. He couldn't imagine them actually finding time to visit every single one of them. Ms. Figg slowly moved her old body out of the cab and stood beside him.

"Well, there's no use staring at it, Harry. It's not like it won't be there in a few minutes."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Figg… I've just never seen one before."

The old woman looked surprised but didn't say anything. Of course he had never seen one before, she realized, not when he lived with those horrid muggles. She shook the thought and reminded herself to act like the crabby old woman she was supposed to be.

"Well, we haven't got all day. Let's get this over with."

Harry smiled to himself. He saw the gleam in her eye and knew she wasn't as agitated as she pretended to be.

"Where do you want to go first," he asked politely.

"Let's get your errands out of the way first, that way we won't have to carry groceries around with us everywhere."

Right before they entered the first clothing store, she grabbed his shoulder. "Don't you dare tell your aunt or uncle about this little trip. They'll never let you stay with me again."

Harry nodded solemnly. He knew that as well as she did. He also knew that she enjoyed having his company during the summer. In fact, she had pressed his aunt and uncle to let him come over more often to do "yard work" for her. They had instantly agreed to it, knowing that they wouldn't have him underfoot. It was the only thing that had made his summer halfway pleasant.

They entered the clothing store, Harry trying to contain the excitement of finally having a trip that was just for him.

* ~ *

An hour later, Harry still couldn't figure out why so many people hated going shopping for clothing. He had already tried on numerous different styles of clothing and picked out things that he never could have had if it weren't for this trip. He had even tried not to wrinkle his nose at some of the clothing Ms. Figg had suggested for him. At the moment she was holding up the most horrid shirt he had ever laid eyes on.

It was a polo shirt, with bright stripes of green, yellow, and blue.

"This would be very appropriate for your school," she commented. "You would look so grown up in it." 

Harry forced a smile. He couldn't very well hurt her feelings by telling her what he really thought of the shirt. He offered to try it on and she smiled happily.

Harry almost groaned out loud. Now he would have to get this one. Again, he didn't want to hurt her feelings. He made a note to himself to wear it whenever he visited her.

A few moments later they were looking at hats. Ms. Figg had mentioned that if he couldn't fix his hair he could at least put a hat over it, as long as he didn't wear it in class. Harry nodded; he actually liked that idea. He chose a couple of different ball caps and put them in the cart she was pushing around, and halfway leaning on. 

He realized she was starting to get tired and suggested that they might want to take a break for lunch, and then included that it was his treat this time, since she was spending the day with him. She smiled and accepted.

As Harry sipped his soda about fifteen minutes later, he realized he had never spent quite such an enjoyable day in his life. He knew he would be doing his penance once they got back to her house. He didn't mind though, he would look at a hundred pictures of cats if only it would make her happy. For once, Harry understood what it was like to have a grandmother.

* ~ *

Harry received his school owl while he was at Ms. Figg's house that afternoon. He was sure she had noticed it, but she chose not to mention it. He read the list of supplies he would need as he sat in her living room. She had just excuse herself to start dinner. Harry could already smell cabbage boiling.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

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of WITCHCRAFT _and _WIZARDRY

~

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(_Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

Welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

As usual, the term begins on September 1.

We would also like to congratulate you on being named prefect. Enclosed you will also find your badge and list of rules for prefects. Please wear this upon arrival to the school. You and your fellow prefects will be expected to guide the first years to their common room and explain to them the rules of conduct as well as offering advice for their upcoming year.

Please remember to make yourself available to all of your fellow students. They will look up to you and depend upon your guidance.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

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Deputy Headmistress

Harry didn't known what to think. The last thing he had expected was to be named prefect. He already knew who the other prefect was. Hermione had been made a prefect in her fifth year, not to anyone's surprise. Harry then thought of Ron. Ron had been hoping he would be named the other prefect, but everyone, including Harry, knew that Ron's grades weren't good enough to be a prefect. Harry's face carried a look of worry, but he shook it off, hoping Ron would understand. He then flipped to the next page, which was a list of specific rules for Prefects.

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The prefect badge will be worn at all times on the left side of the robe.

All prefects are expected to act in a manner befitting that of a role model.

Violation of any school rules is grounds for immediate relinquishment of badge.

Out of bounds is out of bounds, even for prefects.

Favoring any student or house is unacceptable.

Harry realized there weren't many rules, but he also realized that he had broken all of them, with the exception of the first, at least once before.

He shook his head and pulled out the final sheet, listing the equipment he would need for school.

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The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 6)

By: Miranda Goshawk

A Guide to Self Transfiguration

By: Bathilda Bagshot

The Art of Healing Potions

By: Bertha Handrake

A Defenders Guide to Spells

By: Phillip Lancaster

****

Other Equipment needed for the school year

One set of dress robes if not already purchased.

Harry almost considered asking Ms. Figg to take him to Diagon Alley, but then decided that she would just go into hysterics and ask him where he thought that might be. He smiled to himself. He knew she would never admit that she was a witch.

Harry tucked the letter in his jacket, praising Dumbledore for thinking to send it to him while he was away from Privet Drive. His aunt and uncle would probably have tried to turn the owl away. Just as Harry was entering the kitchen, he heard an explosion from outside. Chills ran down his spine and he heard Ms. Figg screaming.

He bolted for the kitchen, and arrived just in time to see two death eaters standing outside her window. She was reaching in her pocket and pulled out a wand.

"Harry, stay back. They can't come in here, it's protected."

Harry knew it probably would have been, but then it wasn't protected against normal means of breaking and entering. His suspicions were confirmed as he saw a rock sailing towards the window. The window shattered on contact and Harry drew his wand from his pocket.

Ms. Figg pointed her wand at one of the death eaters.

"Expellimarus!" she shouted. The wand flew from the death eater's hand and into Ms. Figg's hand.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted as the death eater had turned around and was trying to run away.

Ms. Figg disarmed the other death eater, just as Harry cast another spell.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry shouted. The death eater stiffened and fell to the ground as Ms. Figg caught the other wand.

"Too easy," Harry murmured as Ms. Figg ran to the fire in her kitchen.

She threw dust into the fire and shouted, "Albus Dumbledore!" The face appeared almost instantly. 

"Arabella, what's the matter?" he asked.

"Death Eaters," she said in a rushed voice. "Harry's here. We got the first two, but it was too easy, I think we've got more to worry about, I think those two were just a distraction."

Dumbledore nodded. "On my way," he said. In a few seconds, Dumbledore had apparated into Ms. Figg's kitchen. A few seconds later Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape appeared at his sides. Snape grabbed a hold of Harry and within a few seconds, Harry found himself alone with Snape in the center of Hogsmeade.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, a worried tone coming through his voice.

"No time for questions," the greasy haired professor snapped. "We have to get to Hogwarts." Snape grabbed a hold of him and started running towards the school. Harry had no choice but to follow.


	2. Firebolts, Libraries and Information

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Harry Potter and the Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling, copyright 2000. Some portions of this fan-fiction have been taken directly from the novel.

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Chapter Two: Firebolts, Libraries and Information

Harry did not remember reaching Hogwarts castle, nor did he remember Snape rushing him into the dungeons and into the Slytherin common room. Harry couldn't even take the time to look around at this private place he had never seen before.

"Don't move from this spot," Snape ordered him, and with that, he disappeared out of the entry way again.

Harry wasn't sure how long he sat there and waited for someone to come and get him, but at some point he had fallen asleep. Again, he dreamed of the Draught of Living Death, and again, he wasn't sure what significance it had.

But something was different this time. After Snape explained the significance of wormwood and asphodel the scene had changed. Instead of sitting and listening, it was almost like he was watching from a corner while wearing his invisibility cloak. Snape finished explaining about the Draught, and the class was now mixing potions, when suddenly… everyone fell asleep. Harry frowned to himself. He was looking for someone in the class that he recognized when suddenly someone grabbed him from behind.

"Harry!" a voice screamed.

Harry awakened suddenly. He saw Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall and Ms. Figg standing beside the fireplace. He closed his eyes again as he realized they were in the middle of a hushed conversation.

"Why did you leave the house like that, Arabella?" Snape asked in a sneering tone.

"I informed the Ministry we wouldn't be in the house before I left. I had no idea people would be busy taking the protection spells off the house. In fact, I wasn't aware they could be broken through in the first place.

"You endangered his life by leaving…"

"Severus, that's enough," Dumbledore commanded. 

Harry slowly opened one of his eyes. Snape's face still held a sour look, but he did shut up. Harry closed his eyes again.

"Really, Severus, we can't force the boy to live his life being hidden behind locked doors. He'll never get the chance to enjoy being young if we do that."

Harry was shocked. He hadn't realized how McGonagall had felt about his situation, he had never even considered that she might be sympathetic with him.

Snape spoke again. "When trouble follows a person like it follows him, it is best for him to be well protected at all times and in all places. You all know how I feel about him, but that doesn't mean I want him hurt or killed."

Harry almost smirked. Yes, everyone certainly did know how Snape felt about him.

Deciding he had heard enough, Harry yawned and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

McGonagall stepped over to him. "Are you ready to get back now, Harry?"

"Is everyone all right?" he asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore told him, "everyone is fine."

Harry inhaled the scent of boiled cabbage and was quickly calmed down. "Am I in trouble for using magic outside of school?"

"No," McGonagall said quickly, "Of course not. You used it in self defense, and no one was harmed, so there's nothing to worry about it."

"I don't want to go back to the Dursleys' he said quickly. 

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course you don't. As a matter of fact, they asked us to find a safe place for you to stay after they heard about the attack."

Harry doubted that this description fitted. He was pretty sure they had clearly told Dumbledore that they did not want Harry around anymore. Dumbledore had probably owled them while they were out with Dudley, so Harry doubted very sincerely that they were pleased with him.

"Where am I going to stay?" he asked.

"Well, we were talking about letting you stay here."

Harry's face grew disappointed. He liked Hogwarts, but it had not been the answer he was hoping for.

"We were talking about it," Dumbledore continued. "But then Mrs. Weasley owled us and said she would be happy if you could spend the rest of the summer with them. We've decided we can let you go after your birthday. That will give us just enough time to get some protection spells put over the house. We do have a few special requests though."

Harry nodded in excitement. "Anything," he said.

"You will never go anywhere alone. You must have one of the Weasleys' with you at all times when you are outside the house." Harry nodded. He could live with that. "And, if anything is bothering you, scar pains, bad dreams, weird premonitions, you will owl me, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall or Sirius immediately." Harry nodded again. 

He was glad it was finally ok to say Sirius' name out loud. In his fifth year, Sirius' name had been cleared of all charges when they caught him and made him take a truth serum. Harry had vouched for his tale, and Snape had even backed him up.

"Anything else, Professor Dumbledore, sir?"

"Just one more thing, Harry. When you go to Diagon Alley, you are to carry a portkey. When activated, it will take you and anyone with you to Zonko's in Hogsmeade. Fred and George Weasley have taken over there this year and they are assigned to see to your safety if you should appear. I believe you known of a way to get to Hogwarts from that are without being seen?" Harry nodded. "Good. You must follow these instructions carefully. Understood?" Harry nodded again. Dumbledore smiled.

"Well then," Snape said, "perhaps we should get his belongings transferred here until it is time for him to leave." With a swirl of his black robes, Snape was gone from the room.

"Would you like to go to your common room, Harry?" McGonagall asked kindly as she folded her hands together in front of her.

Harry nodded. For the first time he realized how quiet Ms. Figg was. He glanced in her direction and she offered him a smile.

Looking out the window, Harry realized how dark it was getting. He glanced at Ms. Figg one more time before following McGonagall up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room. 

* ~ *

Once in the common room, Harry visibly began to relax.

"You're belongings are already upstairs," McGonagall informed him. "I will be sleeping down here tonight, should you need anything."

"You don't have to watch over me, Professor," Harry told her. "I'll be fine."

Harry was deeply amused by the mothering side of professor McGonagall. He had never seen her look so visibly worried before. Of course he had also never heard Snape direct a kind word in his direction. Harry was feeling a little awkward at all the attitudes that were surrounding him. McGonagall was mothering him, Snape was concerned about his safety, Ms. Figg was smiling at him, and Dumbledore was worried about him being left alone.

He couldn't figure out what was so wrong.

McGonagall had turned to leave Harry alone. "Professor," he suddenly called out, right before she had disappeared. She turned around slowly.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"What happened this afternoon?"

"A death eater attack, just like all the others." McGonagall had spoken plainly but Harry was certain that she was hiding something from him.

"No, I mean what really happened. There was something else involved wasn't there?"

"You shouldn't concern yourself. It's over now."

"No," he said, even though she had already closed the portrait hole. "It's not over."

With these thoughts in mind, Harry found his way up the stairs and to his bed. He changed into his pajamas and quickly fell asleep.

~ * ~

Harry awoke early the next morning. After he realized where he was, he opened his trunk and pulled out his firebolt. There was no way he was going to miss the opportunity to fly his broomstick when he was in the perfect place to do so.

Harry ran down to the Great Hall where Dumbledore and McGonagall were already sitting at a round table in the center of the room. Dumbledore gestured for Harry to join them, and so he rushed forwards and found a seat.

"Are many of the other teacher's here?" Harry asked.

"No, there's only a few of us who stay over the summer. I think you've already seen most of them. Myself, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and of course Professor Hagrid always stay. I don't think anyone else has chosen to come this time around. Our defense against the dark arts teacher should be here within the next week, but then, of course, you'll probably be at the Weasley home by then." Dumbledore took a drink of his pumpkin juice just as a few owls flew into the room. "Ah, mail is here."

Three letters were dropped beside Harry's plate by three owls. One was a school owl, the second was Pigwidgeon, and the third was an exotic looking owl that Harry did not recognize.

The letter that Pig had brought was from Ron; he was excited about Harry coming over the following week to stay with them. He also told Harry he would save his birthday present until he got there. The second was from Hagrid, welcoming Harry to Hogwarts and inviting him to come down for tea. Harry smiled, if McGonagall wouldn't give him information, he was sure Hagrid would, whether he liked it or not. Hagrid had a way of divulging information, little comments here and there, that often left his lips before he had even realized he had said something wrong.

The third letter was from Sirius. Apparently Dumbledore had notified him of the attack and he was checking to make sure that Harry was all right. Harry almost hid the letter as soon as he saw it, but then realized it was all right to be seen reading it now.

Sirius was not yet working and had not told Harry what his plans were. All Harry had been told was that he would be seeing him soon. Harry had asked why he couldn't go stay with him as soon as his name had been cleared, but Sirius had explained that there were many technicalities that had to be fixed before Harry could come live with him. The first of those was proving that Harry was in fact his godson. James and Lily had never thought that it would be questioned, but since Sirius disappeared after their deaths and then went to Azkaban, Harry was taken to his aunt and uncle out of desperation. Since they held legal custody to him, Sirius would have to bargain and beg in order to get a custody hearing in the muggle world. The magical world was hesitant to let Sirius enter the world of the muggles, even for something as simple as getting custody of Harry. In the end, the Dursleys' had signed over their rights peacefully, but now they were waiting for the official word from the courts. Sirius had mentioned something about being worried that the courts would question his legal right to adopt Harry. In other words, by the time Sirius was allowed to keep Harry, Harry might be old enough to go wherever he chose.

McGonagall looked expectantly at Harry. "Anything new?" she asked kindly.

"Just the same old stuff," Harry replied. 

McGonagall had grown very concerned about where Harry was living over the last year. Especially after hearing how the muggles had treated him when Cedric Diggory had died. They had locked him in his room for most of the summer, stating that he was a danger to Dudley, after all, what if he pulled another stunt like he did at school, and this time Dudley got taken away with him? Harry was disgusted. He thought that they would at least leave him alone, not mention it, not react at all. He hoped that at the least, they would act normally, like nothing had ever happened. Apparently he hoped too much.

McGonagall had been one of the leading people who had pushed the Ministry to accept Sirius' application for custody. Now that it was all pulling to a close, she was very anxious to hear something official.

"There is something you might be interested in, though. I don't have to stay at school this Christmas." 

McGonagall smiled, and for a second, even Snape looked pleased. After all, if Harry Potter went home, then no one would be at school for the holidays.

"Sirius says I can bring my friends and come stay with him over Christmas. He even says we can invite Ginny so she won't feel left out."

Ginny feeling left out had recently become a major concern with Hermione. She mentioned that since the twins began their joke shop, there was just no one else at home except Ron, and when Harry and Hermione were visiting, Ginny had no one to talk to or spend time with. Harry agreed with Hermione and had made a point of including Ginny in a lot of the plans they had been making for the last month of the summer.

Dumbledore nodded. "I think that idea is most excellent. I feel the youngest Weasley might benefit from spending some quality time with her older sibling and his friends.

McGonagall didn't look so sure. "I don't doubt she would enjoy it, but it would be like having the marauders causing trouble again. I'm not sure that would be such a good idea."

Snape looked thoroughly annoyed at the thought of having a second group of marauders in Hogwarts.

"We don't cause as much trouble as they did, do we?" Harry asked innocently.

"Harry," McGonagall started, "I don't think that it's the fact that you find trouble, I think it's that trouble finds you. One of these days I'm going to find out who gave you James' invisibility cloak."

Dumbledore winked at Harry when McGonagall looked away.

Harry tucked away Sirius' letter and hurriedly finished his meal so he could go ride his firebolt and then tell Ron the good news.

* ~ *

Harry spent most of the morning flying around the Quidditch pitch. He tried dives and swoops, millions of different turns and spokes that he had never had a chance to experiment with before. He remembered a lot of the football games that Dudley had watched on TV. He thought that, with practice, he could learn to use some of the things they did in the games in Quidditch. After all, it was the closest thing he had ever seen to the game that plagued Hogwarts grounds. With a little thought he was sure that he could even teach things to the Chasers. 

Oliver Wood had always told Harry that he seemed to have a talent for all of the positions in Quidditch, though he was obviously best at Seeker. After about three hours of playing with his broom, he began to wish that he had someone to play with. There was no one else here for him to experiment with and he was growing quite bored with playing by himself. He landed gracefully on the ground, dismounting his broom before his feet even touched the ground. Harry walked inside the school and then realized another thing he might be able to do while he was stuck at Hogwarts. He ran to the Great Hall with a purpose in mind. He was just hoping a professor would be present to help him.

* ~ *

Harry found Professor McGonagall sitting at the table that was in the center of the room. She was reading through a book and making notes on the parchment beside of her.

"Professor?" Harry asked quietly, hoping not to interrupt anything important. McGonagall looked up at him in surprise.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Am I allowed to practice Magic while I'm here?"

McGonagall looked stunned for a moment. Apparently she had never been asked a question like that before.

"I don't see why not," she said after a time. "The rules are only to prevent underage witches and wizards from causing mayhem in the muggle world if they should cast the spells wrong. There's not much damage that you could inflict while inside the school's grounds." She paused for a second. "If you want to check out a book from the library, I'm sure Madame Pince will not mind as long as you write her a note and have the book back to her by the time you leave."

Harry smiled and nodded. "Thank you, professor. Will the library have any of next year's text books in it?"

"Yes, I believe it does." McGonagall smiled. "I'm happy to see you so anxious to study, Harry. It should help you to get ahead next year."

Harry decided to sit down and eat before he rushed off to the library. He wasn't sure why he was so anxious to get ahead, but he was sure of something else. He was going to get so far ahead even Hermione would be surprised.

* ~ *

By dinnertime Harry was already halfway through Miranda Goshawk's guide to self-transfiguration. Harry, not being very hungry, decided to continue studying. By 9:00 he was finished with the very long book. He wanted to go ahead and start over and try some of the tasks set forth in the book, but he knew it was getting late and he didn't want to chance messing himself up and then having to wake someone up to fix him. He set the book on the side of the table and pulled out the next book in the stack.

It was Bertha Handrake's Art of Healing Potions. He looked at it with interest and then looked up at the clock again. It was getting late, but he was so excited that he wasn't even tired. He did, however, figure that the normal rule of students not wandering the halls after hours would still apply, and so he wrote a note detailing which books he had taken and carried them back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Harry opened the old text and started to read. It was nearly midnight by the time he looked up from the book again.

He had never realized that potions could be so interesting. Harry was half tempted to approach Snape the next day and ask if he had any books that he could borrow. However, Harry knew that Snape would probably see this as an attempt by Harry to suck up to him and quickly dismissed the idea. It was two hours later that Harry realized that he would never get through the next day if he didn't get at least a little bit of sleep, and so Harry closed all of the books and made his way up to his bedroom, deeply intrigued by the amount of information that he had already consumed in one afternoon. He already knew that Hermione would be very jealous that he had gotten to spend an entire week in the library.

Harry also remembered Hagrid's invitation to join him soon for tea, and made a note to go see him the next afternoon. Harry still wasn't sure what exactly had gone on the previous afternoon and it would soon be time for him to do some investigating. Hagrid would definitely be his first stop. With this in mind Harry fell quickly to sleep.

* ~ *

It was 11:00 before Harry awoke the next morning. He tumbled out of bed and rushed into his clothing. He grabbed a hold of the books he had borrowed before he realized how much his stomach was rumbling. Remembering that he had skipped dinner the night before, Harry decided to go visit Dobby and the other house elves to procure a snack. He also realized that he had still not written to Ron telling him about the good news that Sirius had sent. Grabbing some parchment and a quill he rushed out the door and down to the hidden kitchens of Hogwarts.

* ~ *

The last person Harry expected to find in the kitchen was Dumbledore, but there he sat, having a very amiable conversation with Dobby, who appeared to be wearing a brand new pair of socks.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry as he entered while Dobby rushed back to the kitchen to get a basket of snacks for Harry.

"With the way he's already rushing to the kitchen, I'd think you'd been here before." The smile Dumbledore wore told Harry that Dumbledore already knew that Harry had many times come down to the kitchens for a midnight snack. Realizing that Dumbledore might be willing to tell him things about the situation at Ms. Figg's house, Harry sat down across from him and helped himself to a piece of fruit from the basket that had been deposited beside them.

"Professor, can I ask you something."

"You can ask anything you would like, Harry," Dumbledore replied.

"What happened at Ms. Figg's house the other day?"

Dumbledore was silent for a time. "You're more perceptive than most people would think." Then the old man was silent again.

"That's not an answer, Professor."

"Harry, I will tell you some things, but that is because it would be better if you did not go snooping for answers, which I already know you have the intention of doing." Harry blushed. "The death eaters have apparently been watching Ms. Figg's house. When they saw the two of you leave the other day, they decided that was there chance to attempt to take some of the wards down. You see, the wards are only as strong as they are because Ms. Figg is there. That is why she very rarely leaves the house. They had thought of attacking you both while you had been shopping, but had decided against it, because there were so many muggles around. The last thing they had needed was to make such a scene in front of muggles. Do not get me wrong, it is not that they do not want them gone, but they do want to stay silent for a while longer. When you returned, the death eaters were waiting."

"Professor, that's not everything."

"Harry, I don't intent to tell you everything today, maybe soon, but not today. Come now, I'm sure you'd like to get back to your books and you have a meeting with Hagrid this afternoon. You don't want to get yourself worked up, now do you?" Harry saw a misted look in his eye and was suddenly very curious. Something was going on, and Harry was determined to find out what exactly it was.

* ~ *

****

A/N: _Ok, I don't generally write a whole lot of author's notes, but every once in a while I like to say a few words. I would like to thank all of the people that reviewed and assure you that fully intend to continue writing this story. I can't wait to see what you guys think of this chapter, I really value all of your opinions, so don't forget to give me a heads up if something doesn't seem right or if you have questions about something that I've written. I don't mind flames as long as they're not too mean. As far as any H/G stuff, I will get around to that in the next few chapters. Right now I'm trying to set the scene._

****

Sincerely,

Jynx Ashley

H/G shipper forever

If you enjoy any of my stories, please be sure to check out www.gryffindortower.net**_ for a site completely devoted to Harry/Ginny fan fictions. This is one of my favorite places to read. Especially be sure to check out the Carpe Diem compendium. It is a very well thought out story with fluff added here and there, the perfect story for someone who enjoy action and adventure with romance on the side._**


	3. For Everything There is a Reason

**__**

Harry Potter and the Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling, copyright 2000. Some portions of this fan-fiction have been taken directly from the novel.

****

Chapter Three: For Everything There is a Reason

It was after several servings of rock cakes and around ten cups of tea that Harry finally got around to poking questions at Hagrid.

"Ms. Figg seemed really worried the other day," he mentioned in a tone that conveyed concern.

"Oh, you know how older women get. A few curses get thrown around and they go to pieces." Hagrid stood up and started making himself busy with the dishes that lie on the table.

Harry stood and started helping with all the dishes. "No, I mean really worried, like there was something else involved."

"Harry, you're askin' questions you ought not ask."

"Aren't I always?"

"I know what you're doin', Harry, and it won't work. You're mother didn't want you to know about it until you were older."

"Didn't want me to know about what?"

Hagrid stopped himself. "Look, I've already told you more than I should have."

Harry sighed. He knew Hagrid would give him information, but he also knew that there was only so far that he could push him. The information he had stayed with him though. _It was something to do with his mother…._

* ~ *

Harry didn't know what else to do. He walked to his room after a lengthy dinner and began reading more of the assignment books. He never noticed when the sun set, but he knew he was almost done reading all of his books. In fact, he only had a few chapters left of his standard book of spells, grade 6.

Harry put a marker in the book and set it on the table beside his bed. He didn't feel like sleeping yet and at the same time, he was completely exhausted.

He finally decided to finish the rest of his standard book of spells, that way he wouldn't feel guilty about not completing the books. Finally having come to a decision, Harry stretched out on his bed and began to read.

* ~ *

__

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death --- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? _Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air._

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut --- fame clear isn't everything… For your information, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death…."

* ~ *

Harry awoke with a suddenness that sent his book fly to the ground. He wasn't even aware that he had fallen asleep reading it.

The dream was beginning to unnerve him. He didn't know why he kept having it; all he did know was that the Draught of Living Death was important. The dream, however, was not accompanied by any of the usual scar pains that warned him something was wrong.

Harry picked his watch up off the table beside his bed. The blurry numbers told him that his glasses had fallen off during the night. He searched for them and put them on after finding them in the mess of his thrown blanket. He picked up his watch, only to groan in frustration after realizing that it still wasn't working.

After putting on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and finding his missing shoe, he made his way down to the common room to find the time.

He was shocked to find it was nearly ten o'clock. He couldn't remember being aloud to sleep this late in a very long time.

Deciding to skip breakfast, he made his way to the library to do a little reading on asphodel and wormwood.

* ~ *

Asphodel, while very common, was very hard to mine. It was a stone that most muggles mistook for quartz rock. Most kept it in drawers at their homes, some tried to sell it off to people, disguising it as fine jewelry. The very large problem with getting a hold of it was that for any potion requiring it to work, you needed a very large quantity of it. It was possible to buy small amounts of it at a time, or even find small amounts, but in order to really get a hold of a large quantity, you'd have to be purposely mining it, which would bring a lot of muggle questions. Muggle questions, in any form, were to be avoided. The wizarding world did have one mine, which the muggles thought was a coal mine, buried in the depths of Bulgaria, not far from Durmstrang Academy.

The hardest part of creating the Draught of Living Death was getting a hold of Wormwood. Wormwood only existed in one part of the world. It was the tip of the root of a tree in Northern France. The roots of this particular tree went down nearly 3 kilometers. The part that made it hard to get to, was that it happened to be on land that the muggles considered protected. Severe digging would have to be justifiable or well hidden. In other words, it would be almost impossible to get to. 

Just knowing that the ingredients were so impossible, made Harry feel a little more comfortable. All the same, there was a slowly growing seed of dread of in the pit of his stomach. 

Hunger, Harry decided. He must be hungry. Content with this decision, Harry went down to the Great Hall to eat a late lunch.

* ~ *

Harry was surprised to see Dumbeldore seated at the single round table that decorated the head of the hall during the summer.

He gave Harry a warm smile was he sat down. "Good afternoon, Harry," he said easily. "I trust you've had a productive morning. Did you learn anything today?" The way Dumbledore was speaking let Harry know that he already knew something about what was going on.

"Professor… sir… can you tell me anything at all about the Draught of Living Death?"

Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled in amusement. "Are you doing some studying on the side, Harry?"

Harry gulped. "I guess you could say that, sir." Harry considered telling him about the dream, but decided that he must already know. "Would it be possible to brew the potion, Professor?"

"I am reminded of your mother at present." Harry's ears perked in curiosity. "Yes, Harry, I do remember your mother from her days at Hogwarts. In her seventh year she did a good amount of studying on rare draughts and formulas. Most of us were worried about her obsession, until it was found that he had finally discovered the original key to making the draught. She never shared the information with anyone, not even your father. Lily was almost obsessed with keeping the draught a secret, even when the ministry ordered her to turn the information over. It is said that she even went so far as to have James perform a selective memory charm so that she would not remember how to do it. She kept all her potions in a book however, that no one ever found. To this day, no one really knows where it lies." Dumbeldore picked up his tea, eyeing Harry carefully. "Whoever might find it, however… would it priceless in value, that is to say, worth whatever task was required to get it." He continued looking at Harry until the boy's eyes flashed in realization.

"Was my mother… was she killed for that book?"

"I suppose," Dumbledore said, "that the book could be the reason. No one really knows for sure why Voldemort targeted them."

"Is that why Ms. Figg's home was attacked?"

"I cannot say anymore," the old professor replied. "But I think I may have given you some insight to ease your mind." Dumbeldore stood to leave the hall. "By the way, the Weasley's will be arriving by floo tomorrow to pick you up. Happy Birthday, Harry." Dumbledore dropped a small box on the table and was gone.

Harry was excited. He hadn't even remembered that it was his birthday. He supposed he had forgotten because he hadn't received any owl's yet. As if brought on by this thought, Hedwig entered the hall with a small box, followed by the exotic owl that had been there before.

The box Hedwig held was from Hermione, accompanied with a reply to the letter had sent her earlier on. The other was, obviously, from Sirius. Opening Hermione's first, Harry was not at all surprised to find a book. It was a guide to the care and maintenance of racing brooms, as well as a complete self-updating index of the top 50 brooms available. Pleased, Harry opened the letter she had sent. She had asked how Hogwarts was in the middle of summer, and if he had been able to do any Homework or reading while he was there. She had also expressed her jealousy at the fact that Harry was aloud totally unsupervised use of the library, which Madame Pince had never even given to her.

She would be surprised, Harry realized, to find that he had done all of his schoolwork, and even gotten a little ahead.

Harry moved on to the box from Sirius. In it was a small necklace with a bottle hooked to it. The bottle was filled with a purple liquid and sealed with a cork stopper. Harry moved on to the letter of explanation.

__

Harry,

Happy Birthday! I know this seems like an odd present, but I'm sure you'll find it very helpful. It is a draught designed for instant travel if you are in danger. I have spoken with Dumbledore and we both decided it was best for it to transport you to the Hospital Wing in Hogwarts. Do not hesitate to use it if you are in danger.

With Love,

"Snuffles" and Remus

Harry smiled. After Sirius' name had been cleared, the name "Snuffles" had become a rather endearing, teasing term only used with the people he was closest to. Pushing those boxes aside, Harry finally came to the one Dumbledore had dropped in front of him.

He pulled the note loose first.

__

Mr. Potter,

Yet another possession that was left with me that you might find useful. Use it well, once again.

Harry opened the box, only to find that Dumbledore had not given him anything he had never seen before, but it was something important. He had found it very useful before, and had suffered without it during his fifth year. Dumbledore had returned the Marauders Map.


	4. No Place like the Burrow

**__**

Harry Potter and the Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling, copyright 2000. Some portions of this fan-fiction have been taken directly from the novel.

****

Chapter Four: No Place like the Burrow

Harry stood at the fireplace in the basement of Zonko's fidgeting nervously.

What if they forgot about him? Well, he knew that was ridiculous, but still, there was always the "what if" worries. He checking the clock on the wall again and realized he still had at least five minutes before they would actually arrive. Snape, having retained his usual nasty demeanor, stood at the top of the basement steps, waiting impatiently for the Weasley's to arrive.

"Perhaps Mr. Weasley can find a reason to be on time for once," he mused as he checked his fingernails to make sure there was no visible dirt. "I say, that would definitely be a feat."

Harry rolled his eyes and ignored the professor. If the summer had taught him anything, it was that Snape was almost completely made of hot air. He liked to fuss and complain, but in the end, he wasn't all that bad.

Harry almost laughed, realizing he never thought that sentiment would never cross his mind. Of course Snape really was that bad, but it made it more bearable that the grouchy old professor at least knew it and was proud of it.

At almost exactly the expected time, the three youngest Weasley boys came through the fire to greet Harry. Snape sneered as he straightened his relaxed posture.

"Well, as it seems you are now well cared for, I'll leave you to it." Snape didn't bother to harass or even speak to the Weasley's. Instead, he merely turned away and shut the door behind him.

"Oiy!" Ron said softly. "Please tell me you haven't had to put up with that for as long as I think you have."

"I don't know, Ron. He's not so bad when you can get away with ignoring him." Ron grumbled some type of disagreement but quickly brightened again.

"Mum says we're to bring you straight home."

"Oh we forgot to mention," Fred interrupted.

"Mum said to have Ron hold your hand to make sure you get off at the right stop," George finished.

"Very touching," Fred yawned. "Now if you two can behave yourselves, we better be off." Fred did a very over exaggerated impression of Percy shining his prefects badge.

"Don't worry," George said. "I'll take care of him." George drew his hand back and smacked Fred against the back of his head.

"Ow!" Fred yelled. "That really hurt. Why did you do that?"

"I don't know," George replied. "Seemed like a good idea at the time." George turned back towards the younger boys. "Now then, anyone for tea?" With this very strange comment he stepped back into the fireplace after a dash of floo powder and shouted, "The Burrow!" Fred followed suit barely a second later.

Ron held out his hand and Harry rolled his eyes and took it. "Your mum worries too much."

"Don't worry, she just doesn't want to see you end up in Knockturn Alley again." Ron reached in his pocket and drew out some floo powder. Just as he started to throw it into the fire, Harry got the odd feeling that they weren't alone.

He turned and scanned the room for movement before Ron tugged on his shirtsleeve. "Are we ready then?

"Yes," Harry replied. "But make it quick, I feel really strange all of the sudden."

If Harry had been watching his back before the fire consumed both of them, he might have seen the dark figure slip out of the basement without a sound.

* ~ *

Harry landed on the floor of the kitchen with a very loud thud, very nearly taking Ron down with him. "Harry," Ron shook his head as he let go of Harry's hand. "We're going to have to work on your transportation skills. You'll never master Aparation if you can't even get the basics of floo under control."

Harry might have replied, but he found himself swept into a large bear hug by Molly Weasley herself.

"Mrs. Weasley, good to see you again. Thank you for inviting me." Harry offered a smile, trying to shake the odd feeling that had overcome him in the basement of Zonko's.

"Don't be so formal, Harry. You know you're like family to us." Molly bustled about the kitchen, preparing dinner as she went.

Ron smiled to Harry. "Come on, Dumbledore sent your stuff over earlier this morning. You can get everything sorted out before we go to Diagon Alley tomorrow morning."

"Are we meeting Hermione there?" Harry asked as they made their way up the stairs.

Ron grumbled something under his breath.

"Is she still seeing that fellow from Egypt?"

Ron finally seemed to lose it. "I can't believe Bill introduced her to a guy he'd only known for a week. What was he thinking?"

"Well, they seem to be pretty happy together, it's nice for Hermione to have someone she had hold a conversation with. After all, we don't really read the same books that she does. Talking with us must get very boring."

"I know, but I don't understand why Bill felt inclined to introduce her to someone."

Ron's family had decided to go on a trip to Egypt earlier in the summer. It was on that trip that they had met Hermione and her family, apparently vacationing in the same area. Ron had invited Hermione to come meet Bill, and Hermione had been filled with excitement at the opportunity to see another type of Gringotts Bank. When Hermione and the Weasley's had arrived, Bill had been talking to one of the newer Wizard associate. His name was Cody Gellman, and he fell in love with Hermione from the second he laid eyes on her. They had been dating since then, and Harry had never seen Ron so jealous about anything, expect perhaps Hermione going out with Victor Krum. Harry shrugged it off. Ron would figure out why he was upset someday.

Harry and Ron had just reached the second landing and Harry was thrown into shock as a small red head came hurtling out a door and flung directly into his arms.

"Get them away from me!" she screamed. "They won't leave me alone!" Fred and George stood just inside the now open doorway with grins on their faces.

"Come on, guys," Ron said. "You're scaring Ginny."

"Ginny?" Harry asked as the girl slowly calmed down.

"They were changing things, they changed my skin color, my hair color, they even made my tongue grow about three feet before they finally put it back into place." Ginny suddenly looked up and gasped as she realized whom she had run straight into.

"Uh oh," Fred said. "Now look who's changing her skin color."

Ginny issued what sounded like a small squeal before she attempted to run away. Harry grabbed her arm at the last minute to stop her. She turned to look at him, and their gazes locked. Silenced reined for nearly a full minute.

"Yes, Harry?" Ginny gulped.

"Nothing. Just making sure you're all right."

"Yes," she said and rushed into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Harry felt someone poking his side at that moment.

"Harry?" Ron asked.

"Yes?"

"Can we got get finished putting your stuff away now?"

"Sure thing, Ron."

Harry never realized which way he was going until he ran straight into George.

Harry shook his head and bolted up the stairs to Ron's room. He felt very strange all of the sudden. Not the way he usually felt around Ginny at all.


	5. Peculiar Circumstances

**__**

Harry Potter and the Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling, copyright 2000. Some portions of this fan-fiction have been taken directly from the novel.

****

Chapter Five: Peculiar Circumstances

"So whatever happened to you and Audrey?" Harry asked as he slung his bag on the bed.

"The girl from the ice cream shop last summer?"

Harry nodded.

"I don't know. We're still going out but, I'm kind of looking for someone who knows that Quidditch is played on brooms," Ron delivered sarcastically.

"Hermione knows that Quidditch is played on brooms."

Ron snorted. "Yeah, but that's about all she knows about it. When did she enter the conversation anyways?"

Harry smiled to himself, and didn't answer.

"I'm starting to wonder," he said, "when Ginny is ever going to get over that silly crush on you."

Harry thought for a moment. "I don't know that anyone ever gets over childhood crushes," Harry finally said, thinking of Cho. "I think it's just, at some point, we out grow them." After Cedric's death, Harry had felt wrong about continuing to pursue Cho, in fact every time he saw her, he felt guilty. So not only did he stop pursuing her, he stopped seeing her at all for any reason. Even in Quidditch, he avoided her, which was hard since she was trying to knock him off his broom half the time.

Ron didn't even question Harry on that point. "Maybe if she got to know you," Ron said as he sat on his bed, "she might realize that you just aren't the dating type."

Harry frowned as he sat on the cot that had been placed on the other side of the room. "What do you mean by that?"

"You know, you just aren't the dating type. I mean, between saving the entire wizarding world, what is it? Four or five times now? You just don't really have time for girls. I mean, you barely have time for your friends."

"I've gone on dates," Harry said defensively.

"You've gone on a date, Harry. And me and Hermione had to fix you up on it. Harry, face it, it's not an insult, it's just the truth. You haven't really had time for girls over the past six years."

Harry fell back on his bed and thought about it. "What if I tried this year?"

"Tried what?"

"To make time for girls… oh, lord, Ron, this is stupid. How did we ever get into this conversation anyways? Half the world's gonna think I've gone nutty. I'm going to see if dinner's ready."

Harry went out the door and started down the steps. Ron, however, stayed where he was. He had to laugh. For once, Harry had made a total idiot out of himself.

* ~ *

"Really, Harry," Fred pleaded later. "We're serious."

Harry had found himself cornered after dinner by the three youngest Weasley boys. He had dared to enter Fred and George's room with Ron. He had been surprised to find it neat and tidy. George had waved it off, saying something about moving their base of operations for the purpose of secrecy.

"Why would you want me to spend time with Ginny. I thought you guys were protective over her."

Ron shook his head. "This isn't about going out on a date with her or anything like that. I was thinking about it more, and I realized what we were talking about earlier was probably right on target. If Ginny got to know you better, she might come to realize that being your friend is much better than mooning after you."

George agreed. "I mean, it won't be as much fun anymore, we won't be able to make jokes on her about you, but she's really got to get over this."

"If you were her friend, maybe she'd realize she likes you better that way anyways." Fred finished. 

"So let me get this straight," Harry said running a hand through his already messy hair. "You guys want me to deliberately spend tons of time with Ginny, tell her all my secrets, confide in her like she's the only friend I've got right now, just to make sure she gets over a little crush?"

"You've got the right of it now," Ron said with a smile.

"But won't she ask why I'm not talking to you, Ron?"

"Yes, probably. And in that case, you'll just tell her that I've been really busy. You haven't been able to talk to me. Besides, with your genius mind, I'm sure you can find a way to convince her that you can't talk to me about some of these things."

Harry sighed. "I'm just not sure. I mean, I feel like she'd realize something was going on."

"Why don't you start with something you have in common?" Ron asked.

"Ron, that would be fatal. The only thing we have in common is Tom Riddle." Ron cringed visibly.

"Yes," George admitted. "That would probably be a bad way to start."

"Wait," Fred interrupted. "You both hate Colin Creevey."

"I don't hate Colin Creevey," Harry defended. "I think he's a little annoying, but I don't hate him."

"Well Ginny thinks he's annoying too." Ron said. "He's been asking her to go out with him since fourth year, and after two years of that, it gets kind of lame."

"I can't talk to Ginny about crushes," Harry said in a flustered tone. "It would make her uncomfortable to even think that I know about stuff like that."

"Harry," Ron pleaded, "I know you'll figure it out, but the main thing is, she need someone to talk to. Even if it's not you, she does need someone to talk to. You know she has dreams, right?"

"Dreams?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Ron said. "She has all kinds of dreams about what happened in her first year. She wakes up screaming and she refuses to talk to anyone about it. She claims they wouldn't understand. But you would. You would understand perfectly what's going on." Ron fidgeted and looked down. "Look, here's what we'll do. Tomorrow, we're supposed to meet Hermione and Cody," Ron growled the second name. "We'll invite Ginny to come along with us. Audrey's going to be there too."

Harry sighed. "All right, fine. I'll try to spend some time with Ginny. But if things start getting uncomfortable, I reserve the right to back off, got it?" 

All three boys nodded.

"Who knows," Fred said with a devilish grin. "Maybe you'll realize you were made for each other or something else half as stupid." The second part of the comment was delivered sarcastically.

"If you only you knew," Harry muttered to himself on his way out the door, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

* ~ *

Diagon Alley the next morning found six very uncomfortable standing together at the front of Flourish and Blotts.

"I suppose you got Prefect again," Ron tried conversationally.

"Yes," Hermione said, her arm twined with Cody's. "I don't know who the other prefect is, since last years prefect was in seventh year.

Harry cleared his throat. "Um, I think I can answer that."

"You got it?" Hermione asked with a grin. "I had a feeling you would."

Ron's face looked hurt. "Why didn't you tell me, Harry?"

"I don't know," Harry said uncomfortably. "I guess I had other things on my mind at the time."

Audrey slipped her hand into Ron's. "I'm sure he would have told you if he'd thought about." She said.

Ginny just looked altogether flustered. She hadn't said a word since they'd separated from Mrs. Weasley. When Ron had offered to take Ginny along with them, Molly had been ecstatic. It would give her some time to do some much needed shopping without having to worry about making time to do it and Ginny's school shopping as well. She had asked Ron if he was sure, and then rushed off happily.

"Has everyone already been to Gringott's?" Hermione asked in lieu of a subject change.

"Yes," Ron said. "Mum took us this morning with Harry. I assume you went before you left?"

Hermione nodded. "Mum and Dad were pleased when Bill offered me a job for the rest of the summer. It meant I could pay for my own supplies." Bill had offered Hermione a job just before vacation ended. He said he needed a secretary for the rest of the summer, since school ending meant a lot more business for the bank. Everyone knew that the bank usually only excepted interns to work there, but Bill had been hoping to sway Hermione towards the banking business, knowing that she was intelligent enough to do it.

"It must be interesting to work in a bank," Audrey said as they started into the bookstore. She eyed Cody. "What do wizards do there? I mean, I know the goblins do most of the vault stuff, why do you need Wizards at a bank at all?"

"Mostly it's a supervisor thing," Cody replied. "We keep an eye on the Goblins and to the exchange of Muggle money to Wizarding money. The Goblins are very clever, but they don't have very much experience with Muggle money. They don't understand how it can all be so different. That and they have a tendency to be rude to anyone who dares to carry strange money. So, we handle all exchanges as well as inventory and new hires. As far as why we want Wizards and Witches as secretaries… well, we want pleasant secretaries. I think that should answer that half of it."

Audrey smiled and Hermione clasped Cody's arm a little tighter. Ron slipped his arm around Audrey's waist. Harry and Ginny stood at least two feet apart, with their hands settled securely into their own pockets.

"Ginny," Ron said. "I'll give you your money so you can go ahead and get your stuff." Mr. Weasley had gotten a small promotion a year ago, which meant that Ginny and Ron had a little extra money to get their school supplies this year. It also meant that they could both have newer robes this year instead of using "hand-me-downs". 

"Are we going to Madame Malkin's after we finish here?" Ginny asked, the first words she had spoken since they had met up.

"I think that would probably be best," Harry replied. "I need some new robes too. I think I grew a foot or seven since last year." Harry tried to smile. "If we go there next, we can have some time to look around at other things before we pick them up." Harry cleared his throat and looked down at Ginny. "You're supposed to get an owl this year, aren't you?" Molly, seeing that Ginny had been jealous of Pigwidgeon, had promised that if they had some extra money, Ginny could get her own owl. Ginny had taken initiative and gotten a job on the weekends at the beginning of the summer. She worked with Olivander, running the shop for him while he went out to gather new supplies for the wands.

Ginny smiled. "Yes, it means that I won't have to borrow Pig from Ron anymore."

"I was sorry to hear about Errol," Harry told her.

"It happens with the older owls. We sent him off to live at the center." 

Errol had been on a delivery a year before and had just dropped with a heart attack on his return trip. They had been able to revive him, but they had deemed him unfit to continue making deliveries. In the Wizarding world, once an owl was no longer fit to make deliveries, they sent him to the Owl Protection Center, where they would be cared for until they died. It was kind of like a retirement home for owls that had worked all their lives and now deserved to rest. Ginny had been heart broken, but she understood that Errol was in a safe place now.

"So, what kind of owl do you think you'll be getting?"

"Well," Ginny said. "I'm not sure. Mum said that whatever I could make, she would double it. Regular owls are supposed to be around 150 Galleons. But those are the owls that generally have no personality." 

Ginny handed her book list to the clerk at the desk as did Harry. The clerk also went ahead and took Hermione, Audrey and Ron's list and bustled off to start collecting books. Cody hung bag looking a bit nostalgic as he had graduated a few years ago. 

"I don't really want a generic owl," Ginny started again. "I'd rather have an owl with some personality, like Hedwig and Pig."

Audrey nodded. "I couldn't agree more. When I got my owl last year, the first ones they had me looking at were pretty typical, not how I wanted my owl to be at all. They were trained well, mind you, but that's all. They weren't friendly or attention seeking; they just delivered post and returned. Ron, didn't you tell me that Pig loves attention, he hates it when you ignore him?"

Ron nodded. "Hedwig is the same way. If Harry isn't giving him very much attention he has a tendency to bit on the peevish side. He also doesn't like it when he has to share his cage, especially with Pig."

Ginny smiled. "See, that's the type of owl I want. I know they require more attention and they're harder to take care of, but I want an owl that will know when I'm upset or sick. I guess I'm looking for a friend." Harry agreed.

"Hedwig's been there for me a number of times. I remember when she delivered my first broom, she was almost as excited as we were."

"You know a lot about owls, don't you Harry?" Ginny asked.

"A bit," Harry admitted. "I was curious after getting Hedwig, I wanted to know if all owls were like her, so attentive and kind, so I started reading. I found out it's actually one of the more peculiar qualities of the Snowy Owl. They're very loving, they attach on to people very easily, but there are other owls that have that trait. I finally found out that shopping for an owl is like picking a dog at the shelter. If he backs away from the door of the cage when you approach, or doesn't do anything at all, he's not your owl and probably never will be. If he comes right up to the door and tries to see you better, then he's already yours."

Ginny nodded. "I think I definitely want to take a little time there then. You guys don't have to stay with me if you don't want to."

"I'll stay with you," Harry said, "I'd like to look around and see if I can find some toys for Hedwig anyways."

"Well," Ron said. "Since Harry's going to keep you company, I know Audrey wanted to go up to see if they had anything new at the charm store."

"Yes, I wanted to come back here for a little while after we get our robes sized," Hermione said. "I wanted to look at some of the newer transfiguration crammers. They're supposed to help with studying for NEWTS." No one bothered to mention that NEWTS were still almost two years away, it would have been pointless.

Harry nodded. "All right then, here's what we'll do. After we get out books here, we'll go over to Madame Malkin's, get resized, then go our separate ways, then meet back up at Malkin's in an hour to pick up our robes. That should put us with enough time to restock potion supplies and get some ice cream before we have to meet up with Mrs. Weasley." Everyone nodded just as the clerk showed up, floating a whole load of books behind him.

"I hope you all have fun this year," he said with a smile. "I don't think I've ever carted a load of this size." He started passing out the groups of books after wrapping them and the group departed after paying, to head to Madame Malkin's.

* ~ *

"I didn't realize I'd grown that much," Harry muttered as he hopped down from the step Madame Malkin had him stand upon to be sized. He saw Ginny a few feet away looking dreamily at the new dress robes. Harry knew that, even with their father's raise, Ginny would not be able to afford anything terribly fancy. Ron had told him that Ginny had tried to bargain with her mother. She had volunteered to wear her old school robes if she could just get a new set of dress robes for that year, but Mrs. Weasley had already decided that Ginny needed the school robes more.

Harry made his way over to her as he saw her fingering the fabric. "That's a perfect color for you," he said.

Ginny dropped the blue fabric in surprise. "Oh, it's just you," she said with a sigh. "I was afraid it was Ron, coming over here to make me feel better."

Harry placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "You know, I bet with practice, you could make your own robes."

"I've never really tried sewing before," she said with a sigh. "I think if I had any experience with it, I might be able to do it."

Harry considered the matter slowly. "I know very little about you, Ginny," he said. "But I belief that you could be good at just about anything you tried to do." Harry slipped away quietly as Ginny continued looking at the fabric. He cornered Hermione a few seconds later. After a few seconds of conversing, Hermione nodded with a smile and Harry handed over a small bag to her.

"What was that all about," Cody asked as Harry walked away.

"Nothing really," Hermione replied. "Except for the fact that he's crazy about her and doesn't know it yet."

After everyone had been resized, the group separated, Hermione and Cody heading back to Flourish and Blotts, Ron and Audrey towards Madame Zephryn's Charms and Amulets and Harry and Ginny towards Eyelop's Owl Emporium.


	6. To Live is a Great Adventure

**__**

The Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, copyright 2000. Some portions of this fan-fiction are taken directly from the novel.

****

A/N: I don't do very many of these, but I thought I would go ahead and respond to a couple questions asked in the reviews.

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Kate Potter: Not exactly. I've seen that done a number of times where Harry buys Ginny a new set of robes that she wants very badly and while her reaction is always different, the situation is almost always the same. I'm going with something a little more unique.

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Lady Foxfire: As far as how George and Fred feel… well, I'm not sure they know what they're asking for at this point. In the end they just want Ginny to be safe and happy, the problem is, they may perceive that differently than Ginny does.

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Ariel: Secretly in love? Well, that will make itself known soon enough.

I guess I'll go ahead and start a tradition now, I'll answer three questions in every update, so go ahead and ask it may be yours I answer. I don't mind giving small things away, as long as you're sure you want to know.

****

Chapter Six: To Live is a Great Adventure

Harry and Ginny entered the Owl Emporium cautiously. He had known it would not be very organized, but he had never imagined this.

Owls were everywhere, some out of their cages; some hiding inside them, even a few tucked under desks and between books. There was a whole shelf of books on caring for and feeding your owl as well as documentaries about different types of owls.

Ginny wandered around, looking at each owl that she saw. Looking up she saw the fluttering owls that were much like Pig and giggled.

"I don't know about you," she said to Harry, "But I think one owl like Pig is enough for any family."

Harry nodded his face showing great relief that she didn't decide on one like Pig.

She passed by the snowy owls, saying that she didn't particularly want one like Harry's. After all, the one thing she liked about Hedwig was that she always knew it meant a letter from Harry. She blushed and hurried to mention that it was a trait she liked about Pig too. She wanted an owl so unique that everyone would know it was hers when they saw it coming.

That was when she lifted a book up out of pure curiosity. A great fluttering arose and suddenly a ball of fluff was in her hand. It was a little larger than Pig, but not nearly the size of the other owls.

"You don't want that one," a voice said. "He's the runt of the batch. The runts aren't usually good for anything. They are very rarely strong enough to carry anything substantial and they tend to be sickly. As you can see, that one is already sickly." The owner of the voice came into view from behind a shelf.

Ginny wasn't sure how he had managed to see her pick him up from that place.

"Let me show you a popular one," the man said, plucking the tiny owl out of Ginny's hand and plopping him into a small cage. He led her to a large barn owl, much like the ones Hogwarts used. "This," the man said, "Is a very popular choice for students. He does his job, can carry large packages, and does not bother the other owls that he will no doubt have to associate with."

Ginny approached the cage but the stoic owl did not move. He merely sat there eyeing her with a glazed stare. He looked away as soon as she got near the cage.

"He doesn't seem very friendly." Ginny said softly.

"Owls don't have to be friendly," the man defended.

Harry frowned.

"Owl have to carry post and that is exactly was this one will do for you."

Ginny looked to Harry, he could tell by the look on her face that she didn't want the owl the man was showing her. Harry shook his head at the man.

"I think the lady wants to see something a little more unique," Harry said softly. 

The man started to make a retort about foolish teenagers when he looked up at Harry. It didn't take the very visible scar for him to recognize who was in front of him. The man quickly shut his mouth.

"Of course," he said, obviously displeased. "As you surely know, Mr. Potter, the snowy owl is known for being friendly if the lady," the man sneered, "would like to see one of those."

"I think I said she wanted to see something more unique. She doesn't want a snowy owl as I'm sure you already heard us discussing." Harry looked down at the man as he folded his hands behind his back. "If that's all you have to show us, then I think we might look elsewhere." Harry nudged Ginny from behind. "Come on, Gin, let's go see what else we can find."

"Everyone knows," the man interrupted, "That I have the best owls that money can buy, it's why everyone comes here."

Harry turned quickly and glared. "You obviously don't have the best attitude money can buy. If my friend is going to pay a good deal for an owl then I would prefer that she get what she wants. If you're going to help us, then I suggest you do so. If you're not, then we don't have very much time left to finish our shopping."

The man's face fell. "All right, let me get one of the owls from the back, I think she may like this one." The man limped to the backroom, the sneer never leaving his body language.

"Harry, I've never known you to be quite so…" Ginny searched for the word.

"Rude?" Harry provided.

Ginny blushed. "That's not what I was looking for, but I guess it works. You weren't rude though… you were insistent. You're usually so passive."

Harry smiled. "I want you to be happy with the owl you get. I won't settle for less than that."

The man reappeared seconds later with a black and white owl. "He's a cross breed," the man explained. "But a very unusual cross breed indeed. I hadn't intended for it to happen, but apparently one of my snowy whites and one of my tawny owls chose to mate. He was the only survivor of the litter, besides that other little runt you've already seen." 

Ginny's eyes strayed to the runt still sitting in the small cage.

"He's friendly, unusual for a tawny owl, but he's efficient, which is unusual for a snowy white. He's the best you'll find just about anywhere. Four hundred galleons."

Ginny almost cringed but kept her face composed. "That's a little overpriced, isn't it?" she asked.

"You wont' find better," the man told her with a hopeful look.

"Two fifty," Harry said.

"You're wasting my time," the man said. "Three hundred's my final offer."

"Not a chance," Harry said. "That's way over what's he's worth. Two seventy, not a galleon more."

Ginny stood back and watched the exchange with barely concealed anxiety. She wanted this owl, she only hoped she'd be able to get him, they were already at the amount she had… why was Harry still fighting?

"Two seventy five," the man said, "And I'll thrown in the cage."

"I expected that anyways," Harry muttered. "Fine, Two Seventy Five, plus the cage, plus the runt."

The man's face displayed shock. "You want that useless little thing?"

"Yes," Harry said, "Problem with that?"

"None," the man said with a smile. "Will save me the fee of having him put to sleep. But no returns on that one, I've warned you."

Harry nodded, not letting himself smile. Minutes later, Ginny and Harry came out of the shop, Harry carrying a small sack of food he'd managed to weasel out of the man at the last minute and the small runt sized owl. Ginny was happily carrying her owl.

Harry dug in his pocket and pulled five galleons out and handed them to Ginny.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"The extra five I ended up paying so I could get this little guy."

"But I thought you asked for him as an extra."

"I could have gotten everything for 270 if I didn't want him."

"He's not really worth it, is he Harry?" Ginny asked softly.

"Shh, Ginny, you'll hurt his feelings. And he is, he's worth it to me." Harry stroked the small owl's head as he slipped him into his front shirt pocket.

"You heard what the man said though," Ginny whispered. "He's practically useless."

"So was I at one point." Harry said softly, "But look what _I've_ become."

Ginny shifted her bags and slipped her hand casually into Harry's giving it a small squeeze. "You've got a soft heart in there, don't you Harry?"

"Beneath everything else, yes," Harry said returning the squeeze automatically. His hand slipped away from hers and Ginny almost sighed in disappointment until he moved his arm around her shoulders and pulled her gently to him. "Cheer up, Ginny," he grinned. "You're got an owl and I have a chance to do the right thing for someone who could have ended up like me."

* ~ *

Harry leaned back against the cement wall at the back of the Weasley garden. Peace was one of those things he had realized he had once taken for granted. At the Hogwarts it was loud, creaky, damp, overcrowded, obnoxious and belligerent… but at least it was peaceful when he wasn't escaping death.

A week had passed by at the Weasley home and Harry was starting to understand why Ron could sleep through a tornado. It was quite obviously because he lived in one. 

At six every morning, Molly Weasley was out of bed feeding the animals, watering the garden (she always bragged early watering was better), yelling at the ghoul and getting supplies ready to make breakfast for the other animals… that is the rest of the family.

When six thirty came, Percy was falling out of bed and bustling to the shower, shaving, combing his hair and gathering the papers he needed for work.

At seven Arthur Weasley went through the same ritual, but was more hurried since he got up a half hour later than Percy did.

At seven thirty on the dot, Molly Weasley was screaming up the stairs for everyone to get out of bed if they intended to eat (except you, Harry dear, I understand you don't get the chance to rest very often).

At 7:45 Fred and George wandered the stairs in pajama bottoms, Ron followed soon after and Ginny made her morning habit of falling down the last three stairs. 

Harry always followed after Ginny, and it had recently become his job to pick her up off the floor. Harry wasn't sure why, but he seemed to enjoy being a part of the morning ritual.

For fifteen minutes there was only the sound of family member slurping food down, drinking as fast as possible and coffee and tea being poured into cups to be taken to work. 

At five minutes 'til 8, Percy apparated to work, but not after giving everyone a rousing soliloquy on exactly which law he intended to review and improve that morning. Likely they would have to hear another one if he managed to forget his lunch again.

At eight, Arthur's hand on the clock began tipping dangerously towards "you're late!" and he quickly kissed Molly on the cheek and grabbed his lunch and apparated to work as well.

After that, teasing Ginny took at least an hour, running away from the twins took another hour, and chores took the better part of the morning.

At lunch the twins disappeared to their unknown "alternate location" and the house was silent for a couple minutes before Percy apparated in to pick up his forgotten lunch, which he would decide to eat at home since he was there already. For the entire lunch hour they had to listen to Percy drone on about the problems of the morning and what exactly he intended to do about them after lunch. Once the hour was over, Harry, Ginny, Molly and Ron found themselves pretty much to themselves. Molly would shoo the four of them out of the kitchen to catch up on her cleaning, and it would be the trios' job to get rid of the gnomes from the garden.

Getting rid of the gnomes always took two hours, sometimes more. After that it was already almost three and the next amount of time was spent trying to get cleaned up and shouting about how filthy everyone was. Then there was more quieting the ghoul down so everyone could have some peace followed by Percy, Fred, George and Arthur returning from their respective places. Then even more bustle and conversations, arguing, running away from the twins and boring soliloquies would follow. 

Dinner was actually quite calm compared to the rest of the day. Percy talked of course, but he was too hungry to really care whether anyone was listening. Ginny, Harry and Ron always tried to keep the meal amusing by trying to get Fred and George in trouble. After dinner, the evening was much like the morning and late afternoon, with the inclusion of Percy growling about being left to do his paperwork in peace, Arthur trying to control the twins, Molly trying to get Ron to do his homework and Ginny and Harry searching their Hogwarts trunks for that bit of missing parchment or the torn page of a book or a quill they just knew they had.

Suffice it to say the Weasley home was never dull. The only reason they had any peace on this particular afternoon was just luck of the draw. Molly had to go out to do some grocery shopping, Ron was spending time with Audrey, and that left just Harry and Ginny at the house.

Harry wasn't sure where Ginny was, but he was perfectly content with the quiet. As if thinking about her alone had been enough, she appeared from around a corner.

Harry looked up at her, not willing to move from his spot just yet. "Has the horde returned home?" he asked dully.

"Not yet, you just looked lonely. We must exhaust you," she said with a grin.

"It's definitely different than the Dursley's." Harry shielded his eyes from the sun. "They exhausted me too, but more from manual labor. You guys exhaust me because I'm not used to having so many people around me who are just happy."

Ginny settled down near him, making sure she still kept her distance. "You said something, yesterday… I wanted to ask you about it."

"Go ahead," Harry said leaning his head back against the wall. "I'm all ears."

"No, you're not. If you were all ears you'd be corn."

Harry couldn't help it, he laughed. "True, but go ahead with the question anyways."

"You said you would finally get the chance to help someone who almost turned out like you. I didn't understand what you meant."

Harry sighed. "I figured you'd ask about that." He was silent for a long moment.

"If you don't want to answer," Ginny said, "I'll understand completely."

"No, it's not that, I'm just trying to think of how to put it together in a way you'll understand." Harry fidgeted nervously. "I didn't have a happy childhood, Ginny, but you know that. The thing you don't know, is just how unhappy it was." 

Ginny was silent, waiting for him to continue. 

Harry looked over to her and saw her deep trusting eyes. "I was a runt, just like my little guy. Not in the sense of being small and sickly, but in the sense of being unwanted. The only saving grace I had was that my uncle was too scared to get rid of me. He was afraid the wizarding world would come and destroy him if he killed me off like he wanted to. He always said he should have drowned me when he had the chance." 

Ginny gasped. 

Harry grinned. "Don't be so shocked, that was normal in my childhood. My aunt was no better, she always accused me of being a bad influence on Dudley, and Dudley took that as his cue to torment me until I screamed. When I was old enough, and he was big enough, the torment became more physical. He nearly beat me within an inch of my life once. I grew up as the runt, useless and unwanted until I entered this wonderful world where everyone wanted me." 

Harry closed his eyes and leaned his head back again. "But the runt always stays the same. It's like a puppy. You never forget that he was the runt, that he should not have survived, and yet he did. Remember the owner said that besides your owl, the runt was the only surviving one out of the whole batch?" 

Ginny nodded. "Yes."

"Well that was the way I was. I was the runt, and I lived." Harry opened his eyes again, but did not look at Ginny this time. "I survived, but I didn't triumph. I guess I see this owl as a chance to show everyone, including the people who will never care, what good a runt can be."

"You're wrong, Harry." Ginny said softly.

Harry finally looked at her again with a questioning gaze.

Ginny moved closer to him and grasped his hand, just as she had before in Diagon Alley. "You did triumph. You fixed everything for everyone. You triumphed from the day you survived Tom Riddle. From the day you saved everyone, and even to the day you saved my life, you triumphed." Ginny squeezed his hand. "You are the boy who lived." Harry almost smirked. "I know, it's an overused term, but it means so much more than you let it mean."

"I go on so many adventures," Harry mused. "I live through everything, it's as if death is staring me in the face, daring me to continue, pushing me on to the next adventure."

"To live," Ginny said, "_Is _a great adventure."

Harry smiled. "You may have a future in Psychology, Virginia Weasley." Harry slipped his arm around her shoulders again. "I think this could the be the start of a beautiful friendship."

"I think," Ginny said, leaning her head against his shoulder, still grasping his free hand, "That it could be the start of a beautiful beginning. It's about time you understood yourself the way everyone else does."

Harry wasn't sure why, but he suddenly leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek. "I've told you things, in the last few minutes," he whispered to her, "That I've never told anyone… never could tell anyone. I was afraid that they would hate me for hating my past and myself. You seem to understand."

"I was a runt too, Harry," Ginny said, with her skin still softly tinged in red from his kiss. "I survived, not because I was strong, but because you were strong enough for both of us." Before she could stop herself, Ginny leaned forwards and placed a soft quick kiss on his lips. She jumped up from her place before he had time to react and started for the house.

She turned at the last moment to stare back at Harry, who was still sitting dazed from shock. 

"Come on, Harry. Let's get dinner started and surprise, mum. You know she's always bugging me about learning to cook."

Harry stood up slowly and followed her. It looked like they were in for yet another adventure.


	7. Disaster and other Distressing Events

**__**

The Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, copyright 2000. Some portions of this fan-fiction are taken directly from the novel.

****

A/N: My new favorite part of making Author's Notes! Questions! Only two questions got asked and they bother pertain to the same topic, so I'll go ahead and do that one.

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Foxfire: I haven't named the runt yet, probably will in this chapter. I hadn't come up with a name yet, thanks for reminding me that I need to. He will most likely play a very important role, even if we don't see very much of him for a few chapters.

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Agent FAB: Honestly, I'm flattered. Carpe Diem is one of my favorite stories. I couldn't ever imagine writing at that level.

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Grandma: Glad to see I have a convert! I try to keep time between updates short. I left off of this story for a while, and still have no clue why I did so, but I'm back at it now. Hopefully it will only be a few days between each update.

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Phoenix: Thanks! There will probably be more sweet moments in the future, but I'm still trying to figure out whether or not I'm capable of writing a Hermione/Ron relationship! Any suggestions?

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Bucky: Again, thanks! Same as before, will go for more touchy/sweet moments in the future and same insecurities as well.

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Lady Lightning: Don't worry, I have every intention of continuing to the best of my ability.

Thanks everyone for reviewing. The next chapter shouldn't take too much longer than this one did. Thanks for all the encouragement!

****

Chapter Eight: Disasters and other Distressing Events

"Ginny!" Harry shouted.

Ginny spun away from the stove for the third time in five minutes. "What's wrong now, Harry?"

"Your waters boiling over! Turn down the heat!"

Ginny grumbled under her breath as she did as he instructed. "Why don't you just do it, Harry? I obviously have no home making skills."

"No thanks, Ginny," Harry said as he tried to relax. "I spent the first eleven years of my life cooking three meals a day for an unappreciative family. It's nice to watch someone else do it… though I thought it might be more relaxing than this." Harry jumped from his seat in time to throw some baking soda on a fire that had just started below the pasta that was at a full boil.

Ginny grabbed the oven mitts and hurried to pull the pasta off the heat.

Harry bit his lip and tried not to say anything.

"Can I strain it now?" she asked, trying to relax.

"Is it tender?" Harry asked.

"Tender?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. Harry reached into the pot and carefully selected a small string of the angel hair pasta. He placed it in his mouth and chewed at it.

"It's ready he said. If it's too tough it won't be as good, but if it's too soft, it takes away from the flavor."

Ginny nodded. "Harry, I just want to say one thing."

Harry fidgeted nervously.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you. If I stay around you, I'll never have to cook again." 

Harry laughed softly. "I have a feeling that would be best."

Ginny grabbed the pot and jumped back as she burned her hands.

Harry stopped laughing and came forwards to look at her hands. They were just a little red, not badly burned.

"Always use oven mitts," he told her, handing her the gloves. She reached out to take them from him, brushing her fingertips against his. Harry leaned forwards and brushed her lips with his gently before turning away and heading back to his seat.

Ginny fought down a blush as she hurried over to the sink and dumped the pasta into the strainer.

Ron stormed in the door moments later. "It's over," he shouted throwing his ball cap towards the table and landing it in the floor on the other side.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked as she bounced the strainer a couple times to get the remaining water out of it.

"I dumped Audrey."

"Really?" Ginny asked, not looking at him. "Why are you so angry?"

"Because I'm going to kill Cody!"

"Wait," Harry said, "I'm confused. What does your breaking up with Audrey have to do with Cody?"

"Her and Cody started owling each other from the second we left Diagon Alley." Ron collapsed in a chair and settled his head into his hands.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ron," Ginny said as she poured the pasta back into the pot. "But why are you going to kill Cody, as you so bluntly put it? Isn't it Audrey's fault too?"

"No one hurts Hermione," Ron seethed. "She owled me right after she found out. She had been crying, I could see the tear stains on the parchment."

Ron stood up again. "I'm going outside to wait for Pig."

"You already owled her back."

Ron gave a short nod. "Any friend would. She needed comfort." Ron snatched his hat off the floor and shoved it back on his head before he headed back outside.

"Tornado Ron," Ginny muttered.

Ron suddenly stuck his head back in the door. "Ginny…" he said hesitantly, "you're not cooking, are you?"

"Yes, I am, Ron. Problem with that?"

Ron gulped. "None at all." He quickly disappeared.

Ginny grinned. "I should have warned you, Harry."

"About?"

"The only thing that scares my family more than my temper," she said pouring cheese sauce and Parmesan over the noodles, "Is my cooking."

Harry laughed as Ginny pulled the baked chicken from the oven and set it on the stove.

* ~ *

The Weasley family sat around the table eating their dinner quickly. Ron was eating a little more slowly, eyeing Ginny ever few seconds.

"This is very good, Harry," Percy complimented.

Ginny coughed and threw an amused glance at Harry.

"Thank you, Percy," Harry managed.

"Yes," Molly said, "I must say, excellent choice. I wasn't aware we even had anything to cook. Thank you for coming up with something, though I might point out, you are a guest here."

"I know," Harry said. He decided to throw in the clincher. "That's why Ginny cooked it."

Percy and Molly both gagged and discretely spit their chicken in their napkins. Mr. Weasley stopped half way to his mouth with a bit of pasta and decided to set it down to stare at his plate. The twins were more obvious. The openly gagged and spit the food back on their plate. Ron continued picking at his food, making sure it was still safe.

Ginny tried to look hurt, but ruined it with a small giggle. "Don't worry," she said. "Harry made sure I didn't do anything wrong. He came up with the recipe, too."

The family still seemed disinterested in their food. Percy muttered something about paperwork, Mr. Weasley claimed he needed a short nap, the twins ran off to their rooms to "read", Ron actually decided to finish homework, and Molly found herself without any excuse. She looked anxiously at Harry and Ginny's plates, hoping they were almost done. 

Ginny did have some sense of decorum in her. "I'm stuffed," she said. "I think I'll go and get some studying done."

"I'll do dishes," Mrs. Weasley said anxiously. "You two can do whatever you need to."

"But Ginny," Harry said with a grin, "you hardly touched your pasta."

Ginny grabbed Harry by the arm. "Come on, you can help me."

Harry tried not to laugh as Ginny practically dragged him to her room.

* ~ *

As soon as the door of Ginny's room was shut behind them, Ginny began to giggle hysterically. Harry managed to suppress his mirth to a smile.

"I didn't realize you were being serious when you said they were afraid of your cooking," Harry told her. "I thought Ron was just trying to pester you."

"No," Ginny said as she collapsed on the bed. "They really are genuinely afraid of it. They still remember the time I tried to make a bowl of pudding."

"How can you mess up pudding? There are no flames involved, all you do is pour mix and milk into a bowl."

"Don't ask," Ginny answered. "You're talking to the person who can screw up boiling water."

Harry hesitantly sat on the bed beside her, taking care not to sit too closely to her outstretched body.

"So, what homework do you have left for school?"

"I knew there was a bit of Hermione in you somewhere," Ginny said with a sigh. She turned onto her side and rested her head in her palm to face him. "Unlike my dear brother, I have a tendency to complete assignments in a timely manner."

"Do Fred, George and Ron know you're ruining their reputations?"

"If they cared what I did in school, they might realize."

"I think they care," Harry told her seriously. "After all, they spend most of their time there keeping an eye on you."

Ginny groaned and rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me. If a boy even looks at me the wrong way, he has the chance of being out of commission for a few weeks."

"You know, this communication we have bears a definite improvement on the blushing and squealing I'm used to."

Ginny failed to stop herself from blushing.

"Darn," Harry said, "Spoke too soon."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. At this point I'm more embarrassed about the way I used to act around you. I guess I never realized you were just as human as the rest of us."

Harry frowned. "Is that a compliment or an insult?"

Ginny smiled. "Neither, it's just a fact. I know my brothers asked you to hang out with me."

Harry glanced at her with a guilty expression.

"Don't worry, I don't hold you responsible." Ginny sat up and crossed her hands on her lap. "I knew from the moment Ron set up that 'triple date' that something was up. Then I heard Fred and George talking about it this morning. They think the plan is working."

Harry fidgeted nervously and looked away.

"Would you mind enlightening me?" Ginny asked. "I want to know exactly what they're tremendous plan is."

Harry looked at her again and tried to smile. "I want you to understand something first."

Ginny nodded slowly.

Harry continued. "I originally started spending time with you because of their tremendous scheme. I didn't know anything about you, but they were convinced we get along famously if I tried. I told them I'd give it a shot, but that I couldn't make any promises about doing anything subtly."

Ginny's face looked a little disappointed.

"Don't give up on me yet," Harry said, grasping her hand and giving it a small squeeze. "The plan of getting to know you for their reasons only lasted about the first fifteen minutes of our trip to Diagon Alley. Then you started talking and suddenly I didn't have to try to get along with you. I just did. You talked about interesting things, you were yourself, and the fact that you knew about owls was definitely a perk. Then you gave me an unspoken understanding when I wanted that runt. No one else would have understood. Ron would have told me I was making a mistake. Hermione would have given me statistics on how many runts ever actually prove useful. Your mum would have given me placating smiles and patted me on the head, never really seeing what I was trying to do. You were different."

Ginny gave Harry a curious look. "How was I different?"

"You didn't understand, and you didn't pretend like you did. You knew he was important to me, so you didn't discourage me. Then you waited until I was ready to talk about it. When I was, you listened and asked questions until you did understand. Then you offered advice and comfort and the promise to try to understand what I was doing. That was important to me. From there… well, from there everything just kind of fell into place."

Ginny smiled. "You needed understanding. Have you named him yet?"

"I was trying to think of something appropriate, but nothing seemed to work. I was hoping, since you saw him first, that you would help me decide. We can even figure out a name for yours, if you haven't already."

"I haven't decided yet either," Ginny said glancing at the cage. "Usually owls are named in the same fashion that most people name dogs. You know, experts think it's better if you give an animal a name with at least two syllables, since most commands are only one syllable. It helps them realize the different between a command and a friendly call."

"Okay," Harry said, releasing her hand to fold his on his lap. "So we're looking for names with more than one syllable… Socrates?"

"Who?"

"A Philosopher and poet that the muggles study."

"I'm not sure… it sounds very distinguished, and yet, I'm not sure that we want distinguished. How about Merlin?"

"Hmm," Harry thought, "That's a good one for your owl if you like it. Then we could name mine Arthur."

"That would be cute," Ginny said with a smile. "Since they're brothers, it would give them something in common, since Merlin and Arthur were related in the older stories too."

Harry nodded. "I think you're right. It's perfect. Merlin and Arthur." Harry leaned back on his elbows, attempting to make himself comfortable, but no entirely sure how to do so without making Ginny uneasy.

"You never elaborated, Harry."

Harry cleared his throat nervously. "You changed the subject."

"You looked uncomfortable. I wanted to give you a break."

"I guess you deserve the whole truth, then." Harry took a deep breath. "They thought if we spent enough time together you'd come to realize that I wasn't boyfriend material and get over your crush on me."

Ginny blushed furiously. "That was a long time ago, Harry. I don't think the issue is really all that serious anymore."

Harry nodded. "I think you're right, but they also think they're looking out for you." Harry let his gaze stray to the back of her head as he chin dipped towards the floor in embarrassment. "Don't," he said softly.

Ginny looked back at him and tried to smile. "Don't what, Harry?"

"Don't lower your face to anyone, especially not me. You're far too pretty to hide."

Ginny's face registered shock. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Yes," he admitted, blushing a bit himself. "I think you're beautiful."

Ginny's lower lip dropped open a bit and she quickly shut her mouth and blinked to hide the surprise. She turned away from him quickly. "Whatever happened to you and Cho?" She asked rubbing her arm. "How did you get over that crush?"

Harry smiled again. "I never really did," he admitted, "but that doesn't mean I still want to date her." Harry sat up again and pulled his feet up into a cross-legged position beside her. He looked at curiously and took her face in his hands and turned it towards him. "I think, however, that I'm starting to get over it," he smiled. "I'm starting to get a crush on this one girl." Harry stared directly into her eyes, waiting for a response. 

"She's absolutely gorgeous, beautiful hair, very long." 

Ginny's eyes began to tear up. 

"She has a great smile when she's happy, but she's just as pretty when she's sad. She has a horrible temper," 

Ginny's eyes lit up and a tear dripped down her face. 

Harry wiped the tear away with his thumb. "I think the temper can be pretty cute," he admitted. "I've never seen her go full blast, but I'm waiting for that moment, because I know she'll be even prettier then." 

Ginny blushed. 

"She can't cook." 

Ginny laughed lightly. 

"But I cook well enough to make up for that." Harry moved a strand of hair from her face. "She's kind and understanding, she knows when I need someone to talk to. She sees when I'm lonely, and feels when I'm sad. She's good at charms, which I unfortunately suck at, so that's a bonus."

Ginny shook her head and smiled.

"It's adorable when she runs away from her older brothers," Harry grinned. "I don't usually know what to do when that's happening except give evil glares and hide her."

Taking a deep breath, Ginny moved her hands up to cover Harry's wrists.

"Best of all," Harry said, moving one hand down to her shoulder and leaving the other at her cheek, "She has the most amazing body."

Ginny gasped and smacked him playfully on the shoulder. "Pig!" she accused.

Harry laughed and covered his face in defense.

Ginny grabbed a pillow and began to hit him unmercifully with it.

"I give!" Harry shouted. "Stop! I give up!" Harry moved quickly, using his Quidditch skills to get a hold of her arms before she knew what was happening. He moved over her and pushed her down, laying her on the bed.

Ginny twisted around, still fighting him. She managed to flip him over, sending both of them into the floor with a loud thud. 

Harry groaned as he turned at the last minute to take the harder part of the fall. He coughed and sucked in a deep breath of air, having had the wind knocked out of him.

"Woman, you're about to be the death of me, you're heavier than I thought you'd be."

She pulled her wrists out of his arms and shoved his shoulder onto the ground. "That wasn't very nice, Harry."

"Okay, okay, fine, I'm sorry," Harry ruined the scene, however, when he tipped his head back and erupted into laughter. "That was fun," he admitted. "We'll have to do that again."

Ginny grinned and began to laugh with him, letting go and falling on top of him, still pinning his legs beneath her.

Harry reached up and touched her face lightly. "I knew I was falling for you, I just didn't expect it to involve a hard wood floor." 

Ginny raised her head as she managed to stop laughing, moving a hand to cover the one he held to her face. She leaned down slowly, and covered his lips with an experimental kiss. Harry's hand moved slowly around her neck, his other arm twining around her waist.

Ginny wasn't sure what to do with her hands, so she let them lay flat against the ground above his head.

The kiss was soft and slow, neither sure what exactly they were doing. Harry held her neck easily, letting his fingers run up into her hair.

Ginny touched his face, pulling his glasses off in a singular motion.

After a few moments, they separated, their faces showing disbelieving stares.

That was about the same time the door flew open and Harry tossed Ginny off of him, with a grunt of disappointment.

"Is everyone all right?" a familiar voice asked. "We heard someone hit the ground."

Harry looked up to see Percy standing in the doorway with a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah, Percy, just fine," Harry said with a grunt as he stood and helped Ginny to her feet. "Just a little…" Harry glanced at Ginny.

"Argument," she finished.

Percy looked like he was about to ask more questions but decided against it. "All right then," he said, his eyes going back and forth between the two of them. "Do try to be more careful," he suggested as he finally left the room.

As soon as the door shut, Harry and Ginny erupted into laughter again.

"I think I better get to bed before Ron comes looking for me," Harry told her after a few seconds.

"I think you're right." Ginny walked with him towards the door. "And Harry," Ginny said. "Do try not to throw me next time someone comes in," she said in her best imitation of Percy's formal tones.

Harry shook his head with a chuckle and leaned down to kiss her one more time as he left the room. Three more weeks until Hogwarts, he thought.

"God," he said out loud. "I hope we both live through it in this house." Harry took a deep breath and headed up the stairs, never realizing that Ginny still had his glasses in her bedroom.


	8. Never Before, Never Again

**__**

The Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Brothers, J.K. Rowling and her respective publishers, copyright 2000.

****

A/N: Major points to _Tsuki no Hikari_ who saw the Peter Pan illusion. There's a little thing about my writing that some people don't recognize. At least once in every story I write, I will use an illusion from a favorite movie. I did it in _Victim of the Game_ but no one recognized it. That one was kind of hard to see anyways, you only would have heard it in the movie it was from if you had been listening very carefully. I double the points to anyone who notices me using an illusion that I don't even see. I've done it before.

I'm going to skip forward a bit in this chapter, don't worry, I'll summarize what happens over the two and a half weeks to follow, but it seems kind of pointless to go through every second of them, I'll just bore you.

__

Foxfire: I've been putting it off… *hangs head in shame*… I have a hard time writing Hermione and Ron, I felt I had to unite them in some way first, which was the point of having them dating other people. I'll get to it, don't worry… I just have to decide how to do it first. I hope I didn't give anything important away, I think everyone saw it coming anyways.

__

Bucky: Thanks for stickin with me, it gets better, trust me.

__

Phoenix: Thanks bunches. Sweetness will ensue for the next few days… unfortunately, what is a story, without conflict?

__

Lightning: I will continue, don't worry, and when I finish this, I will move on to Marauders and redo it as it should have been done in the first place.

__

Sheila: Thanks, that's starting to be one of my favorite scenes because it's actually based off an experience from my ex and myself. Actually the roles were reversed. I was watching, trying not to upset him, and he was trying to burn the house down… and we were only making brownies.

****

Chapter Eight: Never Before, Never Again

Peace reigned in the Weasley household for two and a half weeks… well, almost. Harry spent as much with Ginny as he could, which was surprisingly easy considering that the twins and Ron thought he was going along with their plan. Harry felt mildly guilty, but at the same time it was hard to feel guilty when everything was going so well.

After the first week, Ron pulled Harry aside.

"Not getting too bored, are you mate?" Ron asked.

Harry looked at him, confused for a second. "What are you talking about, Ron?"

"Hanging out with Ginny so much. You're doing very well, actually."

"Oh," Harry bit his lip nervously and searched for a good answer. "It's no problem at all," he finally said. "We actually do have a lot in common."

"So," Ron smiled, "You've become pretty good friends?"

"That's a good word for it," Harry agreed.

Ron had thought something peculiar was going on, but nodded anyways. "Let me know if you need a break," he said, and let Harry off the hook.

Harry had just sighed and ran to tell Ginny everything. The twins had cornered Harry with the same line of questioning the next day and Harry had just stuck to the same story.

Luckily Hermione arrived at the beginning of the second week and took a lot of the pressure off of Harry to keep Ron happy. Within a day, Hermione already knew the whole story, even the truth of it.

Hermione had a hard time trying not to laugh when she realized how Ron's plan had backfired so badly, actually putting Ginny and Harry together instead of the original aim. Hermione had agreed to keep silent, pacifying Ginny effectively. The second week ended a lot better than the first.

The first half of the third week was pretty calm, Hermione and Ron had been arguing since her arrival, but that much was to be expected. They actually hadn't had a major row since the end of last year.

Four days were left until the return to Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny sat in the living room, a game of Mancala in the center of their circle.

Harry and Hermione had recognized the game when Ginny first brought it out, but only Hermione had played it. Ginny and Ron admitted that they had never really played it either, so they set about reading rules and getting into the game. The game board was made out of a finished oak. It had 12 circular indentations in the wood, and then two, larger, oval shaped indentations at both ends. Hermione explained that the game starts with four glass beads in each circular indentation. Each player takes turns picking up all the beads in one circular indent, and then start at the next opening, on either side and put one bead in each indent that you come to, including the long one on the end. All beads that are in the indent you keep. You keep playing until there are no beads left. The player with the most beads wins.

Ginny kept coming in last. About halfway through the third game, Ginny gave up completely and gave all her beads to Harry, who was winning anyways.

"No fair," Ron told her. "You just put him even farther ahead. Hermione, is there a rule about that?"

Ginny stuck her tongue out.

"Actually," Hermione said, "if a player drops out, they can hand their money, pieces or whatever to anyone, they can even keep them if they want to."

"That's not fair," Ron pouted. "She should have to separate what she already has and give the same amount to everyone."

Hermione smirked. "What's wrong, Ron? Afraid of losing? Again?" 

Ron had come in third the first game, second the second game. Harry came in second the first game, first in the second game. Hermione had obviously won the first game, since she knew the most about the game. She had come in third in the second game, surprising everyone. She claimed she hadn't been paying attention. Harry had agreed with her, eyeing Ron suspiciously. She had been paying more attention to him than anything else. Hermione blushed furiously and was thankful Ron was studying the pieces still lying in front of him too intently to have caught anything that had happened.

The third game was coming to a close by now. Harry was still winning, Ron and Hermione arguing every time Ron did something that technically wasn't aloud. Harry did win in the end; Hermione came in second, Ron in third. Ginny leaned on Harry's shoulder; Harry leaned back against the couch. Ron eyed them suspiciously and threw questioning look at Hermione.

Hermione shrugged and began to set up the board again.

Harry glanced outside; it had been dark for a long time now. Ginny's breathing evened out and Harry realized that she was now asleep. Harry opted to skip the fifth game, and Ron threw him a dirty look.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Harry said with a smile, "But I don't understand how a game can be fun when you keep on winning."

Ron looked moderately upset, but Hermione went ahead and set up the board for a new game. Harry leaned his head against Ginny's and slipped his arm around her waist, watching Ron to make sure he didn't notice. Before much longer passed, Harry drifted off as well, thoroughly amused by the sound of Ron and Hermione arguing in the background.

* ~ *

__

"You didn't find it yet?" an angry voice rang out.

The man in front of the figure in shadow cowered under his mask. "I'm sorry master, it was well protected. A fence was around it and there were muggle police men everywhere."

"Are you telling me, that you can't handle a few muggle police men?"

"No, master," the voice insisted, "I could have, but I didn't think you would want so much attention drawn to you."

"You're right," the voice hissed, "you didn't think! Crucio!"

The man fell to the floor and writhed in pain. "Master!" he shouted. "Please!"

"Silence! You have failed me, Goyle. Next time, the punishment will not be so forgiving."

"Master, should we send someone else?" Another figured, all clothed in black, now stood beside the Voldemort.

"You're an imbecile, Wormtail." The Dark Lord almost smiled. "Of course we will not send anyone else."

"Master?"

"I didn't expect you to understand." Voldemort snapped his cloak in front of him and walked to his chair, seating himself before he continued. "I have no doubt that a certain young man is somewhere right now wondering how he would get a piece of it. We will wait until he figures out… then he will bring it to us."

"But Master… he's so well protected."

"You question me?" Voldemort's head snapped up in fury. "Crucio!"

* ~ *

Harry awoke with a start, almost toppling Ginny to the floor beside him. Ginny awoke looking at him in confusion, the haze of sleep still over her.

"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked.

Harry's scar was throbbing in pain. His hand shot up to cover it, and he put his head between his knees.

Ginny almost panicked. "Should I get Mum?" she asked.

Harry shook his head frantically. "I need to write something down," he said. "I need my journal." Ginny stood and helped Harry to his feet. They made their way towards the stairs, almost tripping over a sleeping Ron and Hermione in the process. Ginny did a double take when she saw Hermione laying peacefully on Ron's lap, Ron leaning against the wall. She knew it was not a good time to laugh, but had to cover her mouth anyways.

Harry flashed her a grin as they bolted up the stairs.

"It's ok, I saw it too," he said.

They came into Ron's room and within second Harry was scattering his belongings around on the floor, looking for his journal. He finally found it near the bottom and opened it and began writing frantically.

When he was done he picked up a piece of parchment and began a quick letter to Dumbledore. He stuffed it into an envelope and headed to Hedwig's cage, only remembering half way that she was on a delivery to Sirius. Ginny tapped a frantic Harry on the shoulder to remind him that she was there.

"Use Merlin, he needs a workout anyways." Harry nodded and Ginny ran to her room and brought Merlin back. After Merlin flew off, Harry sank onto his bed with a sigh.

"Thank you," he told Ginny.

"Do you want to talk about it," she asked.

"No," he said firmly. 

Ginny looked a bit upset but didn't say anything.

"Its not you… my dreams are terrifying, and it's bad enough when I have to tell someone about them. No one needs to be scared if they don't have to be. Especially you."

Harry put his arms around Ginny; a few moments later she had fallen back asleep. Harry, not caring what anyone thought at the moment, laid back on the bed and fell asleep beside her.


	9. Here's to Hoping

**__**

The Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Brothers, J.K. Rowling and her respective publishers, copyright 2000.

****

A/N: Sorry, this chapter took longer than usual. It wasn't even because it was particularly hard to write. The actual problem of the matter was I was home alone all week last week and had free reign of the computer and could write and update when I want. Since my family came home, I haven't had much computer time because of my youngest sister. Anyways, here it is… Chapter Nine.

****

Chapter Nine: Here's to Hoping

"I told you it would work."

"Yeah, but did it have to work so bloody well?"

"Oh come on, you know nothing happened between them."

"Yeah, I hope nothing happened."

"You know Harry better than that. He would never ask that of her."

"I know… but them waking up together… I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it… besides, you can thank yourself. It was your grand idea that started all of this."

"Mine? You put the idea into my head."

"Look, quit arguing before they wake up. He'll have a heart attack if he sees us here."

"Uh, oh… I think he's about it, it looks like he's waking up."

"We better get out of here before he finishes getting out of bed then."

The two figures disappeared from the doorway; ready to pretend they didn't know anything was going on.

* ~ *

Morning came before Harry even realized he had fallen asleep. The dream, however, did not come again. Harry awoke to a shield of red hair covering his face. He could have sworn he heard whispering by the door, but when he looked, there was no one there.

Brushing the yards of hair out of his face, Harry stood from the bed. As comfortably as he had slept, he figured it was time to look for a better position, considering his back ached terribly from the curled up position he had chosen.

As soon as he vacated the bed, Ginny readily took up the empty space, and warmth.

"Sleeps like a cat," he mumbled. Harry realized he had better wake up before Ginny realized he was not a morning person. He slipped away and into the bathroom to brush his teeth and splash some water on his face.

When he returned five minutes later, Ginny was sitting up in bed, sheet pulled up to her neck in full blush.

"Ginny…" Harry started.

"I'm so sorry, Harry."

"What for?"

"Falling asleep on you last night."

"Why are you covering yourself up?"

"I'm embarrassed."

"No need, you're still dressed aren't you?"

Ginny managed an even deeper blush. "Of course, but I have a feeling I'd better get back to my room before Ron comes up here for a change of clothes." Despite her decision, she still refused to stand up.

Harry moved forward, bending down to kiss her lips.

Ginny moved her head at the last minute and covered her mouth. "Harry, I haven't brushed yet."

Harry chuckled but backed away. "Go ahead then, brush your teeth and get dressed."

"Turn around."

"Why, you're dressed?"

"I look horrible," she said. "My clothes are all wrinkled and…"

"And what?"

"Girl's aren't supposed to sleep in their under things."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't have a bra on, and I don't know where I put it last night."

Harry blushed and turned his back obligingly. He heard Ginny stand and bolt from the room. Turning around, Harry saw her bra, carefully tucked beneath the rumpled covers. He almost laughed, until her heard footsteps coming up the hallway.

"Harry, you up yet?" he heard Ron's voice ask with a yawn.

"Yes," he said as he grabbed the bra and stuff it in his trunk, shutting it quickly and sitting on it. "I'm up."

"You're decent and everything, right?" the voice asked from outside.

"What do you care?" Harry asked. "We usually sleep in a dorm with a total of five, three of which are not terribly shy."

Ron entered and pulled some clothes out of his drawer. "I'll take it you and Neville are the shy ones as Seamus and Dean aren't too particular about who sees them in their boxers and I've been known to run back from the showers in a towel."

"Woah, back to the first half of that. What did you mean about Seamus and Dean."

"Stuff," Ron said with a blush as he tossed his shoes over his shoulder carelessly. "I overheard Lavender and Parvati talking one night. Apparently they tried to sneak into the girl's dorm early one morning and got caught by Hermione, who cast a stunning spell on them. They stripped them and set them outside the portrait hole. Luckily they woke up before anyone but the girls saw them, but since then, they haven't been terribly shy."

Harry laughed out loud. "Serves them right. And I was just getting to like Seamus and Dean. You know they're trying out for the team right?"

"No, I didn't know that. I know Ginny's trying out."

"I do think she mentioned something about that. Any other clues as to who's coming out for the team yet."

"All I know for sure," Ron said sitting on his trunk to pull on a clean pair of pants, "Is that we have five spots to fill next year and possibly not that many people trying out. The Creevey brothers are supposed to be trying out, but they're obviously out of the question."

"Why are they out of the question?" Harry asked as he considered whether or not he could get away with looking for clothes around the contraband in his trunk.

"Oh come on, Harry. Dennis will be hanging up side down from his broom waiting for a bludger to hit him so that he can run and tell everyone all about it, and Colin will have his bat slung over his shoulder while he takes the picture of you catching the snitch."

"They've grown up a lot, Ron."

"Oh yeah, they've grown up," Ron laughed. "Colin realized that he couldn't very well have a fan club with only three members, Ginny, Dennis and himself, so he stopped that and started working on a pictorial biography for you."

"His pictures are actually quite nice," Harry commented.

"Harry, whose side are you on?" Ron asked, pausing halfway through putting his shirt on.

Harry thought for a second, "The teams," he finally decided.

Ron gave him questioning look.

"If they're good, they're good, if Dennis goes to the hospital wing during tryouts and Colin doesn't drop the camera, they're not so good, but either way, do we really have any other choices?"

Ron shrugged and tugged his shirt on, then began looking for his shoes.

"Aren't those the clothes you wore yesterday?" he asked, half under his bed trying to get a hold of his other shoe.

"Yeah, I guess I need to put clean ones on."

"What are you waiting for?" Ron asked, grunting in success as he snatched the shoe and began to shove it on his foot.

"Nothing," Harry said hesitantly, still not moving from his spot on his trunk.

Ron raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Not hiding anything, are you mate?"

"Nothing," Harry said, a little too quickly. "I'm just…"

Ron waited patiently.

"Shy," Harry finished.

Ron laughed loudly, "Harry, you're full of it, but I'll leave you to it."

Harry sighed as Ron left the room. He turned and began to open his trunk when Ron suddenly reappeared. Harry quickly slammed his finger under the lid of the trunk, biting back a yelp of pain.

"Need something?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"That's funny," Ron said, giving an exaggerated curse under his breath, "I can't remember." He shrugged ambiguously and waved as he left the room.

"It's ok," Harry muttered under his breath after the door shut, "kill him later."

* ~ *

Ten minutes later found the four of them sitting around the kitchen table. They had slept somewhat late, so most of the family was already gone for the day. Mrs. Weasley set breakfast on the table.

"It's homework day," She said cheerfully.

Ron groaned, Hermione grinned, Harry sighed in relief and Ginny nodded easily.

Hermione turned to Ron. "Need any help?" She asked.

"Please," Ron said.

"Are we free when we finish?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Molly said, "Day is yours when homework is finished. Ron, I imagine you'll be trapped behind your desk until school starts?"

Ron looked embarrassed but nodded.

"Then I suggest you get to it as soon as you finish eating." Molly stacked pancakes on everyone's plates. Ginny complained, saying she couldn't eat that much, at least that was a normal ritual. "You'll eat, young lady, you're too thin. You too, Harry. Hermione, you could use a few extra pounds yourself." Hermione, Harry and Ginny blushed. Mrs. Weasley looked Ron up and down and sighed. She cut his serving in half. "Ron, you need to go on a diet." Ron looked up, offended, causing Molly to laugh. "I'm joking," she said. "You're just fine, you're the only one around here who eats enough."

"Most likely cause he never stops eating," Ginny muttered.

"Ginny," Molly said, "You could learn something from him."

"It's a miracle…" Harry said, a look of genuine surprise on his face. "I never thought anyone would ever say that about Ron."

Ron was starting to look a little angry, but Hermione poked him, telling him to start eating.

"What do you have left to do?" Harry asked Ginny.

"Just a bit of Ancient Rune translations, they're a pain in the but because they can mean so many different things."

Harry smiled. "Kind of like Divination. Except in Divination you can just make it up when you don't understand."

Ginny grinned. "I don't know about that. Sometimes I get the impression that Professor Hartnett doesn't quite know what the runes really mean either."

Harry thought for a second. "You know, we should test that theory. Go ahead and turn it in like that, and if he catches it, you can just say you were on the wrong page by accident. Nothing like Snape I hope?"

"No, he's actually quite nice. Very understanding. Everyone says he'll be head of Hufflepuff house when Sprout retires."

"Do it," Harry insisted. "You'll never know otherwise."

Ginny thought hard for a second. Mrs. Weasley shook her head disapprovingly and left the room to begin her housework, instructing Ginny to clean up the dishes when they finished. Ginny only nodded, lost in consideration.

"What if he notices that my homework is different from everyone else's?"

Harry shrugged. "From what you've said so far, he'll praise you on your attempt at an original translation and brag about your dedication to the subject."

Ginny's face finally broke into a smile again. "You know, you just might be right. I don't really have anything to lose." Ginny stood and started cleaning up the table, taking Ron's plate before he could snatch the last pancake.

"I wasn't finished," he said.

"Then you clean up," Ginny said carelessly, tossing the plate back in front of him as she went to wash the rest of the dishes.

"Not fair," Ron said, as he surrendered his plate.

"Neither is the fact that you wait until I arrive every summer to start your homework," Hermione told him.

"I need help," Ron shrugged.

"You wouldn't need help if you'd just do the work," Hermione muttered.

"Easy for you to say, you remember just about everything." Ron defended.

"I suggest you get started," Hermione said. "I'll be there to help when I'm sure you've started on your own."

"What are you going to do until then?" Ron asked desperately.

"Study," she said with a smile and left he room, Ron trailing behind her, still begging for help.

Ginny finished the dishes and wiped her hands dry. She walked over to Harry and leaned against the counter behind his chair.

"Teeth all brushed?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"Good," he replied and tilted his head back to give her a soft kiss. "Let's finish that homework."

Ginny laughed. "My room or yours?"

"Well, considering Hermione's probably studying in yours, and Ron's no doubt taking his homework up to his room, I suggest we go outside."

Ginny nodded. "Last thing we need is them trying to figure out where we were last night."

Just then an owl flew in the window. Ginny reached out to pet Merlin on the head. "Back so soon?" She asked softly.

The owl rubbed his head against her hand and Ginny scratched the back of his neck.

Harry untied the return post from Merlin's leg and Ginny returned the owl upstairs. When Ginny returned, Harry had his head in his hands and he looked frustrated.

"What does it say?" She asked.

"Snape and Dumbledore have decided that I should return to Hogwarts, immediately."

Ginny frowned in confusion, picking up the letter.

"Snape will be here tonight, I'm to be packed and ready to go."

"Harry… I don't want to be here without you."

"I wish I could change his mind," Harry said, "But when Dumbledore has decided something, it's hard to change his mind. He feel's I'm safest there."

"Do you think," Ginny asked softly, "He would let me come back too? I feel safer when I'm with you."

Harry looked at her and raised a hand to her cheek.

"The worst we can do is ask. Let's ask you're mother how to contact him by floo."

Ten minutes later, Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire. Mrs. Weasley sat in a chair behind Harry and Ginny watching anxiously.

"I don't want to be here if he has to go back," Ginny explained. "I feel safer when he's around."

Dumbledore nodded. "No doubt, Harry's friends are in just as much danger as he is. By removing all four of you from the line of fire, we may be making the smartest decision yet. Plus, it will give Mr. Weasley time to complete his homework," the old wizard finished with a twinkle in his eye.

Molly nodded in agreement.

"I will inform Professor Snape," Dumbledore concluded, "That he will be picking up the four of you. I suggest you all begin packing. Floo is never a fun journey when you're disorganized. He will be there at 8 o'clock, promptly."

Harry and Ginny nodded and ran to get Hermione and Ron. Molly looked into the fire at Dumbledore's, now worried, face.

"Thank you," she told him. "They need all the protection they can get."

"Unfortunately," Dumbledore said as his face began to fade, "Voldemort always finds a way, but we will try to keep them safe." Dumbledore's head disappeared behind the flames and Mrs. Weasley ran up the stairs to help the children pack their trunks.


	10. Hogwarts Again

**__**

The Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are all trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, copyright 2000, 2001 and 2002.

****

A/N: A big thanks to everyone for sticking with me. I've been having a little trouble getting to the point lately, as I'm sure some of you have noticed. This will be mainly a plot chapter, so an apology goes out to the fluff lovers, but there won't be a whole lot of that here.

I figured it out! I think I can write a Ron/Hermione scene! I'll probably try it at some point here. So, I lied, there might be a minor amount of fluff.

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Lady Lightning: Continuing as quickly as possible… things are about to get interesting.

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Tsuki no Hikari: Ron's reaction might not be what you think… I'm kind of tired of the protective older brother image, I don't think Ron is as insane about Ginny as some people believe… well, you'll see within the next few chapters what his reaction will be. As for my portrayal of the Creevey brothers… well, in my opinion, they just needed to grow up a bit. He may get some flack in my story, but not as badly as he has before, just wait and see, that won't be for another few chapters

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Heeroluva: I'm glad you took the time to take a look at my fic. When I get the time, I'll take a look at yours if you'd like. I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I'll try to update as soon as humanly possible.

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Unclee: Glad you like it will update as soon as possible.

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Bookworm: The Draught of Living Death will probably make a major appearance in this chapter, like I said before, this is a plot chapter.

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DaBear: Thank you very much! It gets better, I promise.

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Chapter Ten: Hogwarts Again

Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron stood at the doorway to the burrow. Molly had called Arthur and he had come home to bid the children goodbye.

At eight p.m., promptly, a greasy haired professor Snape popped into the driveway of the burrow. He took one look at the happy crowd standing in the doorway saying goodbye, and sneered. Snape glanced at his watch in annoyance as everyone exchanged hugs and farewells again.

"You have three more minutes before this port key activates," he finally shouted.

Arthur had the grace not to laugh at the overly annoyed professor.

"Haven't changed a bit, have you, Severus?" Molly asked kindly.

Snape grumbled under his breath before approaching the doorway and instructing all of the children to grab a hold of their trunks and touch the port key.

With a familiar tug at the navel, they were all jerked through a nauseating swirl of colors that ended in the yellow and red of the Gryffindor common room.

Snape gave a disgusted look and tucked the port key into his pocket.

"Try not to enjoy yourselves too much," he sneered as he made his way out of the room. He turned at the last minute. "By the way, Dumbledore asked me to request that you inform him before leaving the castle for any reason." Harry got the impression that he even meant if they planned to sneak around one night. "He also wishes to be informed of the areas where you will spending the majority of your time while you wait for the start of term. Make a list, but do not leave the common room to deliver it. Send it by owl and Dumbledore will be here to discuss it with you at his earliest opportunity. Now, I suggest you get some sleep… morning comes early at Hogwarts." With a swish of dark fabric, Snape disappeared, moving like a shadow… with no sound and no indication that he had even been there beyond the portrait hole snapping shut.

"Well, that was unusual," Ron said. "He almost seemed, I don't know, nice?"

Harry nodded. "I know, it's very strange. He was like that when I first came here a few weeks ago, and exactly the same way. He'd deliver a protective message and try to finish it off with a snide comment, but you could tell his heart wasn't really in what he said."

Ginny frowned. "It may just be that we've misjudged him all along."

The four looked at each other as they considered this. They all seemed to come to a conclusion at the same time. Hermione, surprising everyone, started laughing first, followed closely by Harry's attempt to conceal his chuckle, then Ginny giggled and Ron, not even trying to stop himself, starting laughing out loud.

"I think," Hermione said, "as much as I'd like to defend our esteemed professor, that it's a lost cause in this case."

Ginny managed to get control of herself first. "I'll get some parchment and a quill and we can make that list before we go to bed."

Everyone gathered around the fire and Ginny stretched out over the edge of the hearth, setting the paper in front of her as everyone took turns stating areas they had a tendency to spend time in. 

"All right," Ginny said and set the list where everyone could see it. "Everyone check this and make sure we've got everything.

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List of Commonly Visited Places in Hogwarts

Library Gryffindor Common Room Potions Classroom Great Hall Quidditch Pitch 3rd floor corridor on the left hand side (Just kidding, Professor! Ron's idea of a joke!) Forbidden Forest (Joke again! We were thinking too hard!) Hagrid's Hut Hogsmeade (We're not sure if this is an option, but we're putting it down just in case) 

Honestly, this was all we could think of before the discussion just started getting silly. Let us know if there's any part of this list that is unacceptable.

Ginny rolled the list up and attached it to Merlin's leg, opening the window for him to deliver it.

"Well," Ginny said with a smile, "at least we know he has a sense of humor."

"Or so we hope," Hermione said.

No one seemed too anxious to depart for his or her room.

"I don't want to be by myself," Ginny finally admitted. "I don't like having all that space to myself. Do you think we could alter the sleeping arrangements until the rest of the students get here?"

Hermione and Harry glanced at each other. "Well, we are prefects, I guess it's within our power to approve of it." Harry said.

"We can do one of two things," Hermione said. "Either we can all sleep down here, or Ginny can move into my dorm until everyone else gets here. There are two spare beds since we only have three Gryffindor girls in my year."

Ron, Harry and Ginny thought about it for a few seconds.

"I think we should either sleep down here or all move into one room. It just seems much safer that way." Ginny said rubbing her arms. Ron started to open his mouth to reassure Ginny, but she stopped him. "I know I'll be safe here. I'm not worried. It's just…" she stared at Harry, "the dreams. I don't want to be alone with the dreams. I want to be able to wake up and know someone's close by. Gabrielle is in my dorm during the school year and she usually talks to me if I have a dream, and they're always worse here. I don't want to be alone."

Harry slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "How about Ron, you and me all move into Hermione's dorm until Monday morning. We can spend Monday arranging our stuff in the proper dorms and we'll be done with that by the time Hogwarts express arrives."

Hermione nodded. "We may want to inform Dumbledore that we plan to do that, but I don't think he should have a problem as long as there's not any funny business, and I don't think that's something we have to worry about."

"All right, then," Ron said. "Shall we move our trunks, or should we leave them so we can go back to our rooms to change clothes?"

"Leave them in our rooms," Ginny suggested. "I'm not changing clothes in a room where I'm even vaguely concerned about you two seeing things you're not supposed to." Ron laughed, and Harry, surprisingly, blushed.

"Well," Hermione said, "I'm exhausted, I'm going up now."

Ron nodded. "I'll probably be on my way up soon as well, just give me a chance to go to my room and change into my bed clothes."

"Coming Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Not just yet," she replied. "I've got a couple things to do yet."

Hermione nodded. "Don't stay up too late, you look exhausted."

"All right, Ms. Prefect, I'll do my best."

Hermione had the grace to blush followed by a quick disappearance up the stairs.

* ~ *

Ron nervously entered Hermione's dormitory. He knew it was all right that he was there, but it still felt like he was doing something he wasn't supposed to.

"Hermione?" He called out lightly.

A head popped up from beside one of the five beds.

"Oh, hi Ron," she said and popped back down. "Is Harry still getting ready?"

Ron shook his head. "Said something about a book he wanted to look through before he came up. I swear you're rubbing off on him."

"Is that a bad thing?" Hermione asked, finally standing up with her dressing robe draped over her forearm. Ron was glad Hermione had chosen a set of flannel pajamas for the evening. At least he wouldn't have to worry about having to watch her walk around the room in a gown.

Hermione laid the dressing gown on her bed and stretched out her arms as she climbed into bed. "Just pick a bed," she said tiredly. "I'm not awake enough to even try to point out the best decision."

She pulled the covers up to her chin, trying to remain calm about the fact that she was now alone in her room with Ron.

"Hermione?" Ron said as he sat on the bed beside hers.

"What is it, Ron?" Hermione asked in annoyance.

"Do you worry about, Harry?"

Hermione sat up, giving up on sleep for the moment. "Sometimes," she said with a yawn, drawing her knees up to her chin. "I worry that maybe he's taking on too much, or that he thinks he can save everyone, I even worry that he's going to break down like that awful Skeeter woman suggested. I know in the end the worries aren't really substantial, I know he'll pull through one way or another, but… yes, I worry."

Ron nodded and moved to sit beside Hermione. "I know he's my best friend, and I should trust him, but I really think that he's faced with so much. He thinks he can handle the world, but what if he fails? What if he can't make it? So far he's conquered everything he's had to, but what if he fails?"

Hermione smiled. "If I know our Harry," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "He'll pull through. And if he doesn't… he'll eventually get back on his feet. I think we learned last year that the most important thing to him is to be supported and cared for."

"I still feel guilty about abandoning him last year. I still blame myself for not being there when he needed me the most, and all because I had to be stupid. All I cared about was winning that game."

"I think," Hermione returned, "that he has forgiven you already. You just have to find a way to forgive yourself."

Ron glanced over to Hermione, whose hand was still clasped on his shoulder. He raised his own palm to cover hers.

"I'm also sorry about what happened with Cody and Audrey. I suspect it was partially my fault since it involved Audrey."

"Ron, do you know why I liked Cody so much?"

"No," Ron replied. "I never did understand that."

"Because," Hermione smiled, "He played chess like a master, and that always shows great strategy and outstanding patience. Those are two of the most important things in the world."

Ron's face became thoughtful. "Hermione… I don't have a response to that."

Hermione nodded. "I didn't suspect you would. You can let me know when you do."

Ron just stared at Hermione for a few moments. "It's funny."

"What is?"

"No matter how many times I look at you, you never seem to change."

"Now you're just being silly. Of course I've changed. It's been almost five years since we've met. For one thing I'm a little taller than I used to be."

"I guess I am being silly… but I memorized your face, your eyes, your… ears… a long time ago. And no matter how many times I look at it, it always stays the same."

Hermione bit her lip lightly. "I don't think any of us ever really change. It's one of those things in the universe that seems to remain constant."

Ron reached up and traced Hermione's cheek. "No… it's just you."

* ~ *

"So your mother had a book that supposedly contains the instructions for making the Draught of Living Death? And it's never been found?"

Harry nodded to Ginny. They had been sitting in front of the hearth fire for a little over half an hour now, Harry finally telling her what Dumbledore had revealed to him.

"Can you think of any place she may have hidden it?"

"No," Harry replied, looking sad. "She probably hid it in a private place. A place only she could find, but I never knew enough about her to really figure out what places she may have found special, or even personal."

Ginny nodded. "Well then, let's start by figuring out what we know about her."

Harry frowned. "Not much," he shook his head. "She was head girl, she was very good at charms. Her and my father fell in love in their seventh year. She was in gryffindor. She wasn't as much of a troublemaker as my father was, but she did enjoy mischief, mostly laughing at their antics after they were over with. Her and my father were married soon after she graduated, had me a year later and a year later they were gone. It's not really much to go on."

"Maybe you should ask Sirius? He'll probably know quite a bit more about her."

Harry thought for a second and nodded. "Oh, I almost forgot," Harry said. "With all the excitement it wasn't really at the front of my thoughts."

"What?" Ginny asked.

"Sirius wants us to come to his home for Christmas. The ministry said it was all right since the Dursley's never come and get me and you usually stay as well. They said as long as we are well protected and Dumbledore doesn't think it's a safety risk, we should be able to go. So it'll be just the four of us… all Christmas long. If you'd like to go that is?"

Ginny nodded. "If mum thinks it's okay, and Ron and Hermione want to, which I'm sure they will, it sounds like a fantastic way to spend Christmas."

Harry started to pain something else, but was stopped by a sudden stab of pain to his scar. He clutched his forehead and sat down on the couch.

"Harry," Ginny whispered as she knelt beside him. "Should I get Ron or Hermione?"

"No, they can't help. It'll fade. Go up to my room, get the blue and black journal out of the top of my chest."

Ginny nodded and ran for his room, returning seconds later, clutching the journal, a quill and a bottle of ink. She watched him write as the pain apparently started to fade.

__

Scar pain, approximately 11:15 p.m. Lasting about two minutes.

"You've started to keep track of all of this?"

"It seems appropriate," he replied. 

"It's a very psychologically sound solution."

"When did you learn big words?"

"I only know one. Psychologically. Solution only has eight letters."

Harry shook his head and chuckled. "Let me grab my invisibility cloak. We need to go let Dumbledore know about the pain."

"Didn't Snape say not to leave the tower?"

"What Snape doesn't know, won't hurt him."


	11. Promises Made

**__**

The Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are all trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, copyright 2000, 2001 and 2002.

****

A/N: If anyone out there is still reading this story, I am impressed and a big thanks goes out to you. I guess I got in a slump for a long time. I believe some people call it writers block… the one evil demon no one can slay. (Slaps herself for making a Buffy reference in a Harry Potter story) Anyways, I do not intend to drone on for irreversible periods… just of finishing the story as it was meant to be finished. No, we are not there yet, but with any luck, we will be.

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Lourdes: Yes, more very soon. I will not keep people hanging any more. Thanks for sticking with me.

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Lordanhur: Funny story about GT.net. Everything that is posted there has to be beta read, and I cannot just post it myself, which is not a bad thing. I was a having a very good experience there and getting very good beta returns until they changed my beta reader. I sent her a chapter and have not heard from her since. I will probably try to contact her again, but until then, I will be posting all further continuations here.

Without further babbling on my part… Chapter Eleven.

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Chapter Eleven: Promises Made

Harry swept the invisibility cloak around Ginny and himself.

"Are you sure you want to come?" He asked for the hundredth time.

Ginny sighed. "I'm not letting you leave this room alone. Wands out?"

A memory flashed in Harry's head. He shook it off, as he had grown used to doing. "No, I don't think it will be necessary. We won't need them unless someone figures out we're there."

Harry and Ginny made there way down the staircase and through the endless halls of Hogwarts. They finally came to the statue that would lead into Dumbledore's office.

"Do you think he's even awake right now?" Ginny asked in a whisper.

"Something I've learned about Dumbledore," Harry said taking the cloak off, "Is that he is always there when I have the intention of coming to see him. I don't know how he does it, but I would swear he knows about some of these things even before I do sometimes. The only trouble is the other thing I never seem to take into account until I get here… guessing the password. It's always candy."

"Chocolate Frogs?" Ginny guessed.

"Apparently not," Harry said as nothing happened. "Lemon Drops." Nothing.

About 10 candies later, Ginny sighed. "Just a far fetched attempt, Tongue Loppers?"

To both Harry and Ginny's surprise, the statue moved aside and revealed the stairway. "I guess he's more a fan of Fred and George than either of us thought."

Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and they started up the stairs. They knocked on the second door.

"Enter," Dumbledore's voice said.

Harry opened the door, and to his surprise, saw Snape sitting in a chair, head in hands.

"I'm sorry," Harry said. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"What are you doing here," Snape sneered. "I told you not to leave the tower."

Harry ignored Snape's irritated tone. "Pain, in my scar, sir."

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "I expected you might have some. There has been an incident tonight."

"Anything serious?"

"Yes, in a sense. No one has been seriously injured, but Voldemort has made progress in his plan."

"The Draught?"

"Yes. He has obtained Asphodel. Three men guarding the mine were stunned; the rest ran in terror. Perhaps the only good part of this plan is that it has forced Minister Fudge to admit that Death Eater's are a threat, while he has still not admitted Voldemort has returned."

Harry nodded. "Does the minister understand what direction this is going in?"

"He refuses to admit it's possible."

"Someone needs to get the Wormwood before he does."

Dumbledore nodded. "It would definitely place a stop gap in his plan. Harry… I must ask you not to involve yourself. You may already be a target, due to your mother's involvement."

"Sir, not to be rude, but when have I ever deliberately involved myself in anything?"

Snape raised an eyebrow and Dumbledore chuckled. "It is true, young Potter, you don't seem to welcome danger, indeed, it seems to welcome you."

* ~ *

"Harry," Ginny whispered, trying to keep up with him before he pulled the cloak off her. "Harry, slow down!"

"Don't talk so loud," Harry whispered back.

Ginny jerked the cloak off them and threw it in the floor. "Dumbledore and Snape already know we're out here. It's not as if we have anything to be afraid of. Besides, what are they going to do, give us detention? In case you've forgotten, school is not in session." 

"What are you spitting feathers about?"

"Harry, will you stop for a minute. I just want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"If you decide you have to go after it… don't go alone."

"I know the danger, Virginia." Ginny cringed at his use of her given name. "I know that if I go to France with the intention of digging up a tree around a thousand years old, there will be death eaters waiting for me. I'm not entirely stupid."

"And you're accusing me of spitting feathers Harry?" Ginny's face started to take on a red tinge. "Excuse me for being concerned about your safety, but the last thing I want is to see you walk into a situation like that, knowing it's a trap, and getting yourself blown up."

"Voldemort won't kill me," Harry said turning back towards the common room. "I'm far too useful."

"You're really full of yourself aren't you, Potter?" Harry barely glanced in her direction as he continued in a fast pace towards the common room. Ginny grabbed him by the wrist, trying to stop him, but he was too strong for her and ended up just dragging her behind him. "If you think, even for a moment, he won't kill you just because you're useful, you really are thick headed." Ginny let go of him and planted her feet, letting him start up the stairs. As intent as she was on continuing this discussion, she did not intend on being dragged up the stairs. "Harry, this is what I meant when you said you had to start caring about yourself." She watched him hesitate and continue. "I'm not joking, Harry. Every time you feel like your life is in danger, you shut everyone out!" She had to start shouting once he got up the first flight.

"I don't mean to, Gin," he said softly so that she had to strain to hear him. There was something odd about looking all those stairs up at him. Suddenly she realized that all the stairs to get to him were exactly the way it always was. You couldn't just walk straight to him. There were always the steps, stretching between them. Ginny took a deep breath and stepped up a few of them.

"You do, Harry. You close yourself off and you let the world believe you'd rather not know any of it. I don't want to lose you Harry…."

"You won't lose me," his face went soft.

Ginny went up a few more steps. "Let me finish," she implored, "I don't want to lose you. But if I have to lose you, I don't want it to be because you shut me out."

Ginny was up most of the steps by now; she forced herself to stop moving.

"Come here, Ginny."

"I can't Harry," Ginny said, trying to smile. "I can only go so far for you, Harry Potter. You have to at least meet me halfway."

"So we bargain," he said.

"We're not bargaining," she responded, leaning up against the railing. "This is going to be give and take, you make me some promises, and I'll make you some."

"All right, but you go first."

Ginny laughed, in spite of herself. "Just like a man, never wants to take the first step on his own." Ginny sighed. "Fine. I promise that I'll try not to worry about you too much."

Harry nodded. "That's a good start." He thought. "I promise to let you know if I make any decisions about going after the wormwood."

"Not good enough," Ginny said. "You promise that you'll let me know if you make any dangerous decisions… period."

"Ok, fine."

"Say it, Harry."

Harry sighed. She knew him too well already. He went down two steps. "I promise to let you, Ron or Hermione know if I make any dangerous decision," he smiled, "period."

Ginny looked up, only six steps between them now.

"Good. I promise to come to you first whenever I have a dream about Tom."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Not good enough. Everytime you have a bad dream."

"Fine. I promise to come to you first whenever I have a bad dream."

Harry nodded and went down another two steps. "I promise to set aside ten minutes every morning to talk to you about my dreams."

"That works," Ginny replied looking at the remaining four steps. "I promise to take time out for you, any time you need to talk, even aside from those ten minutes."

"That would help a lot," Harry considered out loud. "I can't promise you that I'll always be able to come to you, but I promise that I'll do my best to try." Harry took another two steps.

"I promise to love you," Ginny ventured, keeping her eyes directly on his. "To forgive you, and hold you, even when I want to hate you and love you at the same time."

Harry blinked away a few tears that were welling up dangerously close to his eyes. Harry took a deep breath. "I'm not ready…."

Ginny shook her head and smiled. "It's ok if you're not ready to return love, Harry."

Harry nodded. "But I need to say it out loud." Ginny nodded again. "I'm not ready to promise to love you, but I am ready to promise that I'll trust you, and hold you, and be honest with you, even when I feel like lying. Ginny, at this point, I need you."

Ginny sniffled slightly. Not I love you, not even I want I you… just I need you. She didn't respond, instead she watched him as he descended the last two stairs.

"That wasn't so difficult, was it?" she asked.

"No, it wasn't, but then again, you met me halfway."

"I love you, Harry Potter," she still didn't touch him and he didn't make a movement to touch her. "I've waited years to tell you that."

Harry only smiled and the awkward silence extended the few inches between them to miles. "Come here, Ginny," he whispered. Ginny stepped up into his arms and they stood like that, for what felt like hours, her giving her love to him, as only he could ever understand, and he giving her the most he had ever given anyone.

__

It's still not enough, Ginny's mind told her. 

__

I'll make it enough, Ginny replied.

__

But what if you can't?

Ginny didn't respond, she already knew the answer, for now, she only gloried in the fact that Harry needed her. It wasn't love, but it was a start.

* ~ *

Ron reached up and traced Hermione's cheek. "No… it's just you."

Hermione just sat there. "I don't know how to respond to that Ron."

"I didn't think you would," he told her. "It's just nice to hear you speechless. Or rather not hear you as the case would be."

"Was that the whole point then?" Hermione was on the verge of fuming.

"No, of course not!" Ron held up his hands in protest.

"You know, Ron, I'm glad you said that, because for a second, I was really starting to believe you could be a nice guy underneath all your bull headed rubbish, I'm just glad you snapped me out of it!"

"Hermione, stop it, you know that's not what I meant."

"Oh, really? Then what did you mean, Ron?"

"I didn't mean anything, Hermione. I was trying to lighten the mood. You seemed uncomfortable. I hate it when you're angry with me."

"You better get used to it, then." Hermione lay down and snapped the covers over her head. She knew she was being irrational, but something in her was telling her to protest, to push. She didn't know why she listened to it, she just did.

"Hermione," Ron said. "I don't know how to say this. It just seems easier to crack jokes."

Hermione remained silent.

"I know you didn't fall asleep that fast, so you can stop pretending." Hermione remained silent. "You know how I am, 'Mione. When things get serious, I go into the attitude where everything's a joke. It's how I deal."

"Life's not a joke, Ron. You have to face it."

"I know, but of all the things I can't face, I can't face not having you around."

"Then why are you pushing away?"

"Because, if I let things get serious with you, and we break up, what happens? I've lost a girlfriend and a best friend. I couldn't deal with that."

Hermione sat up. "So, where do we go?"

"I dunno," he replied. "It seemed so much easier when I was saying it to you in my imagination. I figured everything would be okay. You think it was funny, and we'd laugh about how it would never work and I'd get over you."

"So you think you can just get over it then?" There was no anger in her voice now, just sadness.

"See, that's the problem. I can't get over it. I just want you happy, and if being happy means being with someone else…" Ron sighed, "I'll kill him."

Hermione laughed.

"I wasn't joking," Ron said, but gave in to a chuckle.

"Let's just see what happens," Hermione said. "If we realize we can't live without each other, so be it."

"So be it," Ron replied. "So, what do you think is taking the love birds so long?"

Hermione chuckled. "You knew?"

"How could I not know, they're practically all over each other. And that look Ginny gave Harry when she said she didn't want to be alone. I nearly tossed my dinner in disgust." 

"You're so romantic, Ron Weasley. You know Harry's tearing himself apart trying to find a way to tell you?"

"I know," Ron said. "That's half the fun now isn't it?"


	12. Writing on the Walls

**__**

The Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are all trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, copyright 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.

****

A/N: Do you guys know how many times I fill this space with a page worth of ranting and raving and then delete it? Just a thought for the day. Sorry, it's short, will try for longer next time.

Chapter Twelve: Writing on the Walls

Ginny knew that what had occurred the previous night between Harry and herself was far from over. However, knowing that the road ahead was bumpy was still a lot easier than attempting to travel it. Now she was content to let the situation rest and try to approach it later when Harry had less on his mind.

So now, the small group, who had once considered themselves friends, and now did not know how to consider each other at all, began searching the school early the next morning.

"Are you sure that was all Professor Dumbledore said, Harry?" Hermione asked for the fifth time.

"Yes, he simply said that she had discovered the key and may have written it in a potions diary, but the diary was never found."

"It just doesn't make sense though. If she was such a potions prodigy, why does Snape hate you?

"Simple, he hates me because of my father and tolerates me because of my mother," Harry responded.

"If that's tolerance," Ginny muttered, "I'd hate to see outright hatred."

"That's enough out of you young lady," Harry said in a tone that was obviously forced. "I've had enough of that sarcastic attitude for one day!"

"Ugh," Ron interrupted. "Never mind, I just realized if I let you guys suffer, I'm going to end up suffering too… if I admit that I already know what's going on, will you guys please stop flirting in public?"

Ginny looked away and Harry's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Actually, 'Mione, the look on Harry's face is even better than the suffering look, I'll have to keep this in mind."

"Ronald Weasley," Hermione said in warning.

"Where are we anyway?" Ginny asked, hoping to get everyone's minds back on track.

"According to the map," Harry said, "We're actually in a portion of the castle I've never been in. Supposedly this is where the head girl and head boy make their quarters."

"Better memorize it, Hermione," Ginny said quietly. "We know you'll be here someday."

"Wait," Hermione said. "Wasn't your mother head girl?"

"I believe so," Harry responded.

"So Penelope Clearwater mentioned something to me last year that you might find interesting. I don't know if the head boys do this too, but they might. Every head girl writes along the wall of the bedroom. Penelope said most of the sentences were short meaningless phrases. She also said that some of them were really mysterious, as if they were hiding something."

"Do you think we could get in to the head girls room."

Hermione frowned. "Ginny and I probably could, since the room is still unassigned, but there might be a safeguard to keep boys from entering. Better safe than sorry anyways."

Harry nodded. "You two can check in there, I'd really like to check the head boy's bedroom anyways, just out of curiosity."

Harry and Ron walked carefully into the head boy's dormitory. Ron immediately found Percy's name near the top of the far wall.

"Through a person's mind, you shall find his humour," Ron read out loud. "Now that's just dumb," Ron responded.

Ron and Harry searched for about fifteen minutes before the found James Potter's name hidden in a corner.

"Beware the green eyed monster…" Ron muttered the single phrase written on the wall.

"Well that's not helpful," Harry responded.

~ * ~

Ginny and Hermione, meanwhile, were searching the girl's room. It took them twenty minutes to find Lily's name, but when they did, they began to feel hopeless. Written beneathe Lily's name, were the words:

__

Tower, Tree, Road, Wave, Green eyes and love, must the chosen one have.

"Well," Ginny said, "That's just weird, isn't it?"

"I guess that's the kind of thing we were looking for then," Hermione told her.

Hermione pulled out a piece of paper and copied the message on the wall exactly.

"Let's go get the boys," she said as she pushed her pen behind her ear.

Outside the door they found the boys waiting for them.

"What did you find," Ginny asked immediately.

Harry just smiled, "nothing helpful. What did you two find?"

"We think it might be directions, but we wouldn't know where to start to follow them."

"Let me see," Harry asked. Hermione handed Harry the piece of paper and he slowly began reading the scribbled directions. He frowned slightly.

"I would imagine Tower would probably be either Gryffindor Tower or the Astronomy Tower. Tree, Road and Wave… well, I'm sure once we're headed in the right direction those will make sense too."

"Can we stop for lunch?" Ron asked, "I'm starving."

"I'm not surprised," Hermione huffed, "You haven't eaten in nearly fifteen minutes."

"He's right," Ginny said, "We'll get nowhere if he's hungry."

Harry laughed. "It's not like we're pressed for time or anything," he reminded them. "No one has these directions except us, we just need to remember to keep it that way."

The group slowly left the hall, the lights sweeping out by magic as they shut the door. The flicker of the single candle that had remained lit caught a shadow as it moved stealthily towards the window.

* ~ *

Harry had just begun to take a bite of his baked squash when a squeak he recognized audibly filled the entire Great Hall.

He barely had time to turn around before he heard Dobby lunging towards them.

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked before anyone had a chance to say anything.

"He has every right to go where ever he chooses," Hermione reminded Ron.

"That's not what I meant," Ron told her. "I meant he never comes in here. I was just wondering what would bring him here at this point."

"No, Master Weasley was correct. Dobby should not be here where the young masters and mistresses are eating."

"So what are you here for, Dobby?" Ginny asked.

"Dobby knows you are looking for potions," Dobby responded, his eyes wandering all over the room.

Harry, worried that Dobby was looking for something to punish himself with immediately stepped directly in front of the nervous house elf.

"Did you have something you wanted to tell us, Dobby?"

"Only that what are you looking for exists, but he cannot say where."

"Dobby, anything you can tell us would be helpful."

"Dobby cannot reveal any information his old master gave to him, or he would still have to punish himself."

"That is ridiculous, Dobby," Hermione told him. "You're old master would never know."

However, before they could wrangle any more information out of Dobby, Dobby was running out of the room.

Harry sat down calmly and continued eating.

"Harry, aren't you going to stop him?" Hermione asked immediately.

"No, and I'll tell you why," Harry put his spoon down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Because over the years, I've realized that almost anything Dobby really _wants_ to tell me, I don't really _want _to know.

"Should we start following the directions after lunch then?" Hermione pressed.

"No, I'd rather take the afternoon off. We only have four more days before school starts, let's enjoy them while they last." Seeing Hermione's look of frustration, Harry sighed. "Fine, we'll start looking tomorrow morning. We'll all get up as early as you want to."

"That's not fair," Ginny whined, "I don't want to get up early."

"What if I wake you up?" Harry asked, mocking her pout.

Ron groaned, "What did we say about flirting in public?"


	13. Dobby's Secret

**__**

The Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are all trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, copyright 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.

****

Chapter Thirteen: Dobby's Secret

Harry sat on the edge of his bed cradling the small owl Arthur in his hands. Hedwig sat on Harry's shoulder looking down at the small excuse for an owl. The larger owl's eyes displayed his thoughts. So small, he seemed to say… what use would he be to anyone.

Harry raised a hand and stroked a finger just above Hedwig's beak. Hedwig jumped down to get a closer look at Arthur, but now, instead of seeing disapproval in Hedwig's eyes, Harry instead saw pity and sadness. Hedwig nudged the small owl against its back. With that small nudge, the small owl flew up a few feet and landed next to Hedwig.

"You will watch him, won't you girl," Harry asked the older bird. He heard the door of the dormitory open and looked up as Ginny poked her head in.

"Do you have all your stuff moved?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, just finished with it actually."

"Okay," Ginny blushed, "I can't lift my trunk."

Harry smiled and stood. "You lifted it before, didn't you?"

"Dad's weightless charm wore off. It's only a three day charm. That and my trunk seems to get twice as heavy every time I repack it."

Harry followed Ginny up to her dorm room. "The Boy Guard goes back up in a few hours right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "I'm not sure I want this thing to turn into a slide while you're carrying a trunk down it. Hermione said McGonagall was going to put the charm back up right before everyone gets here."

"One more time," Harry said as he hefted her trunk up, "Why exactly do they take the boy guard down during the summer?"

"Okay," Ginny said as she opened the door for him. "I don't know how long you were in regular school or how much you learned about the immune system."

"Just the basics really. I remember the doctor telling Aunt Petunia that if she kept pumping Dudley with penicillin every year his system would stop responding to it."

"Okay, perfect example. In the Immune system we develop certain antibodies that cause us to recover or whatever, I'm not sure of the specifics. This is something they only teach the Physics of Magic class. Professor Flitwick teaches that to his sixth and seventh year students. Anyway, the world itself has an immune system too. It works as hard as it can to overcome the different types of Magic that occur inside it. Unfortunately as time has gone by, Magic is no longer in the normal order of things, and so the world has started seeing it as a disease rather than a medicine."

"So it fights it then?"

"Yes, it fights it in a number of different ways. You probably had chicken pox when you were a kid right?"

"I never did, but Dudley did."

"Okay, but you also noticed that after he had it that once, he never had it again."

"Yeah, he never had it again. About three months after he had it the first time, he took a red marker and put dots on his face though. Aunt Petunia thought I did it." Harry smiled.

Ginny opened the door to her dormitory. "Well, that's because his system learned how to fight it. Over the years, spells have had to change either in makeup or in words in order to trick nature into excepting it without realizing it is outside the natural order. That is why spells, especially protection spells, are often raised and recast a certain number of time per year. The Spell Guarders are in charge of making sure that the really strong spells aren't cast very frequently."

"That seems to make sense," Harry said as he set the trunk at the foot of her bed. He then turned and sat on it.

"Actually that's why the restrictions on underage wizardry are so strict. They're worried that underage wizards are going to cast spells every chance they get and that it will mess with the magical immune system."

"Yeah, I guess if danger were really the concern, they would find a way to stop toddlers from releasing magical energy the way they do."

"Exactly," Ginny said as she sat beside him on the trunk.

"It's really a nice theory, but have any of the magical spells really ceased to exist?"

"Think about it, Harry, why do you think wandless magic is so rare now? In the days of Merlin, hand wizards were common place. Wizards and Witches who could control magic by thought alone, were rare, but they still existed. Eventually the natural order of the world gained an immunity to the rawness of the unfocused power, so wands were created to direct the magic into specific areas."

"Ah, which is why wands don't work so well when they're broken. The unfocused power reminds the… uh… natural order of the pieces it's immune to, and so it can follow those bits and fight them off, leading to spells backfiring on the wizard."

"Yes, as you saw when Ron had slugs for dinner."

Harry shuddered. "That was not a pretty sight."

"Neither was Lockhart removing all the bones in your arm, but we still remember it."

"Point taken." Harry stood and brushed his pants off. "Where are Ron and Hermione."

"Library, Hermione seems to take solace in that place, even though she knows that the answers can't always be found there. I guess it gives her a sense of control. Harry?"

Harry turned just as he was about to head down the stairs. "Ginny?" he said with a smile.

"I heard something about you, that the summer after your second year you caused your aunt to inflate and float without a wand."

"More of a result of anger release, I had no direct intention of doing that."

"All the same," Ginny said moving towards him at the top of the steps. "Most young wizards grow out of that… that raw unfocused power that comes purely from the will to make something happen, even subconsciously. They train our minds very thoroughly to make sure that stops happening."

"I was angry," Harry shrugged.

"And I've never seen a wizard or witch who released raw energy after the age of nine. After the age of nine, we subconsciously begin to control it, even muggle borns like Hermione."

"So you're saying there's something wrong with me because I can't control my unfocused energy?"

"No, I'm saying there's something special about you because of it. Did you even move your hands when you did it?"

"Not that I can remember," Harry murmured. "I think I just sort of squinted my eyes and it happened."

"There hasn't been a documented wizard in over thirty years who could control their surroundings by will alone."

"Who was the last one documented?"

"A young boy, with a muggle father and a witch mother."

Harry's eyes began to grow wide. "You're joking, right?"

"His name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. It was documented one time when he caused a book in the charms classroom to float off of his desk, touch the ceiling and return to the desk, without ever looking at it."

"So you're saying I've got another reason why I have to face Voldemort?"

"Because you're the only one who has anywhere near the same types of powers as he does."

"That doesn't sound like fun," Harry muttered. "If it's all the same to you, I'd just like to put this aside for a little while until we have to think about it."

"If that's what you want, Harry."

Ginny moved forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "The other kids will be here in two hours," she said. "It looks like everything will go back to normal now."

Harry smiled and placed a finger under Ginny's chin, raising it so that her eyes met his. "You have to be kidding. Me and you are together and you except anything to ever be normal again?" 

Ginny giggled and leaned forward to press her lips to his. Suddenly she felt the floor shift out from under her and her and Harry were sliding down the stairwell, crashing into the floor together. Ginny broke into laughter.

"I guess some of the boy guards never go down. The natural order must approve of some of them."

Harry pretended to pout at first, then broke into laughter with her.

"Let's enjoy the next two hours, it's starting to get dark. I want to see the stars with you."

Harry grasped Ginny's hand firmly into his and pulled her off the floor. Seconds later they were chasing each other down the spiraling staircases, arguing about the best lookout point.

~ * ~

Hermione paged through the pile of books she had found on house elves in the library. She looked at the convenient cross-references in the back.

"House Elf Registry," she read aloud. She carefully checked the call number and then walked over to the shelf to attempt to get it down. Seeing it was at the very top, she reached with her fingertips to try to nudge it loose.

"Where's Madame Pince when I need her," she muttered. She considered using a summoning spell, then remembered that Madame Pince had very strict anti-magic wards on the library. She claimed they were to protect the books, but Hermione guessed that the woman liked to watch people search libraries in the traditional fashion instead of summoning everything.

Hermione stretched a little further, just barely nudging the binding of the book then sighing in frustration as she only managed to push it further back. She suddenly felt a shadow fall over her. She gasped in surprise as she felt Ron's body brush lightly against hers as he reached over her head and easily pulled the book down for her. He placed it in her hands and wandered back to his chair.

__

Stop being silly, Hermione ordered herself, _he was just trying to help._

"Thank you," Hermione managed.

"No hardship on me," Ron replied with a grin, and then went back to reading the history of Quidditch book that he had located.

"You know, Ron, if you studied Tranfiguration…"

"…Half as much as I study Quidditch," Ron finished. "So you've told me before. What did you find?" he asked her, trying to avoid the subject she had opened.

"I'm not sure yet," she said. "It's supposed to be a registry and history of all the house elves that work here at Hogwarts." Hermione flipped open towards the back and found Winky's name first. "Wow, this even lists all of her previous owners," Hermione murmured. "Her first owner and her three most recent. Bartemus Crouch, Senior, given to Bartemus Crouch, Jr., given back to Bartemus Crouch, Senior, released for inferior service, given sanctuary by Albus Dumbledore. Wow, the way they phrase that, it's horrible."

Ron had to agree, but he wasn't going to say so. "Look up Dobby. I'm curious now."

"It says, owned by Lucius Malfoy, released for non-compliance, given sanctuary by Albus Dumbledore. Actually all of them end with given sanctuary by Albus Dumbledore."

"So Dumbledore has been adopting the house elves that are released from service for one reason or another?"

"It certainly looks that way," Hermione responded. "I knew he had a big heart, but to adopt so many house elves… that's phenomenal… wait, this is odd."

"What's that?"

"According to this registry, when you helped release Dobby before, it wasn't the first time Dobby had ever been released from service, or the first time he had ever worked for Dumbledore."

"That is interesting, does it say what happened?"

"It says that Dobby was owned by Vincent Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's father. He was released due to a hereditary question that nullified Lucius' inheritance. Lucius regained Dobby four years later, but that also happened about the same time Harry's parents were in school here."

"So, in other words, Dobby knows something about James and Lily that he's not telling us."

"Well, yes, that and something else very important, that I'm sure Lucius made sure to delete record of… except the one record he couldn't touch. Hogwarts."

"What are you talking about, Hermione?"

"Lucius Malfoy, was a half-blood. Vincent Malfoy was not his real father."

"Where did you find that information?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Underneath the profile of the owner Vincent Malfoy. It says that his wife was caught in an affair with a muggle about eight months before Lucius was born."

"People don't have any secrets around here, do they? You could really find out anything you wanted to about someone in that book?"

"Only if they owned a house elf, and only the information that directly pertains to incidents involving that house elf."

"So there would be a lot of information about Dumbledore in here, right?"

"Not really, since he's not really their… master," Hermione told him, the word 'master' coming out as a half growl. "They are technically residents of the household."

"Oh, well, what else does it say about Malfoy's family then?"

"Her murder was unsolved, but she died shortly after she had Lucius. It says Vincent raised Lucius as his own but never told him the truth, and always vowed that no half-muggle child would ever inherit any of his belongings. Lucius failed to prove paternity, but later on, the Ministry of Magic ruled that because Vincent's name was on Lucius's birth certificate, it still made him his only rightful heir."

"Wow," Ron said so softly it was almost a sigh. "This is more information than I trust myself with," Ron told her.

"Well, you're going to have trust yourself with it, because if anyone finds out we know, we could be the next unsolved murder. It looks like Lucius would do anything to prevent people from finding out who he really is."

"Wow…" Ron breathed again.


	14. Back to Basic

**__**

The Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are all trademarks of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, copyright 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.

****

Chapter Fourteen: Back to Basic

"Auror's," Harry heard Madame Hooch's voice ringing out, "Are not only expected to be the smartest, brightest students that Hogwarts produces, they are also expected to be, the fastest, the strongest and the most cunning. If you believe that being an auror is about casting charms, perhaps when you finish this program, you can have a desk job, as for the serious ones, today, we will start refining your flying skills."

"Potter," Madame Hooch called.

"Yes, Ma'am," Harry replied, trying not to be embarrassed.

"Show the class how to perform a left feint, without using a quaffle."

Harry turned and stared at the other students. All five of the kids in this class were training to be Aurors. Aurors in Training, AITs, were the only ones allowed to take the defensive flying course.

Harry flew forward and quickly executed a perfect left feint, he then turned about and landed in front of the other four students. He eyes them carefully as he soared down. One Ravenclaw, two Hufflepuffs, and Ron. He should have already known that no Slytherins would have been approved to be Aurors.

"All right," Madame Hooch blew her whistle. "I want you to spend the rest of this lesson practicing flight with one hand. Go!"

~ * ~

"This isn't fair," Ron muttered as he stretched some of the soreness out of his left hand.

"What? That your right handed on wand and are killing your left arm?"

"No, that we get to start out the day with something as cool as flying, take magical creatures in mid-day and then have to hit double potions and transfiguration too."

"Are you telling me you'd rather have all your bad classes in one day?"

"No," Ron responded, "I'm telling you that I'd like to have a couple good ones. Hagrid's actually assigning homework this term, Madame Hooch wants us to start lifting weight, Snape will probably assign us three parchment rolls of essays, and if we're lucky, we won't kill ourselves in self-transfiguration."

"It's okay," Harry smirked, "According to Ginny we're to going to have a lot of fun in Physics of Magic, Theory of Spellcrafting and History of Magical War tomorrow."

"What does she know about those classes?"

"Bill took Theory of Spellcrafting, Charlie took history of magical war, and Percy took Physics of Magic."

"And we get stuck with all three?"

"Wait 'til next year, I've heard it gets worse."

~ * ~

Ron and Harry had a quick hour of lunch before they had to rush to double potions. To their surprise, they were pulled aside by six seventh year students as soon as they entered the Great Hall.

"I'm Robert," the one who had pulled them aside told them easily. "I'm in Gryffindor." He gestured to the other five in the group. "That's Chris, he's Gryffindor also. Rachel, Serena and Michael are Ravenclaw. There are not any Hufflepuff's in seventh year's group. Adam is in Slytherin. He is the first Slytherin in ten years to train as an Auror."

Harry nodded, now recognizing Robert's voice as Scottish. "What group?" he finally asked, since none of the other four AITs seemed to have the courage to ask.

"We're in second year AIT. You'll find that you will group together as a team, regardless of house. Who are you guys?"

"I'm Harry," Harry started. "This is Ron, we're in Gryffindor." He pointed to the small boy with the dirty blond hair, "That's Thomas, he's Ravenclaw." He then gestured to the boy with black hair, and the girl with red hair. "That's Aiven and Michelle, they're in Hufflepuff."

"You're the leader?" Robert asked Harry.

The five of them looked at each other in question. The two Hufflepuff's nodded, then Thomas followed as well. Finally, Ron shrugged.

"I guess so," Harry said. "What's this about?"

"Every year," Serena began to explain, "The AITs come together as part of the security team for Hogwarts. We help keep night watches, tell the teachers if we hear something they should be concerned about, and make sure students are aware of the dangers around the school. We also look out for the first years."

"Isn't that the prefects' job," Ron asked in confusion.

"On a lower scale, yes," Michael responded.

'The problem with prefects," Adam started, "Is that they have a tendency to only be truly faithful to their own house, so many times they have a tendency to ignore things they shouldn't, it's our job to pick up that slack."

"I am a prefect though," Harry told them. "Isn't that some kind of conflict of interest?"

"Not really," Michael continued, "that actually makes it easier for you to enforce the rules. The biggest part of this," he went on, "is that they actually expect us to form an AIT council. If we didn't we'd probably fail the program."

"So, aside from seven classes, four of which no one else has to take," Aiven interrupted, "We also have to do an AIT council?"

"If you're not up to it," Rachel spoke for the first time, "it's better to pull back now while you're not involved."

Aiven looked at her, slightly worried by the resigned look in her eye. He nodded to Robert, "So we're a council, what do we need to do?"

"Meet in the Room of Requirement, tonight at 9 P.M.," Robert said, "and we'll discuss it. You know where that is, right Harry?"

Harry nodded, slightly uncomfortably.

Robert reached in his pocket and pulled out five brass pins that had the letters AIT molded together. He gave one to each of the five trainees. "Just be there, you'll have a chance to make your decision then."

As they walked away, Michelle visible shuddered. "It's kind of like the fraternity my brother was in," she breathed softly.

"What happened?" Harry asked her, suddenly interested.

"They had to meet secretly, in places no one else had access to, and then they had to perform certain tasks to prove their commitment to the fraternity, even though most of them didn't want to be part of it."

Harry nodded. "We'll just have to remember to keep our heads on straight. However, we now only have fifteen minutes to eat, so we better hurry if we don't want to be late for potions."

All five scattered to their various tables, none of them aware they had already broken the first rule.


End file.
